Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary analyzes the impact of Decree No. 9,760/2019 on the administrative enforcement procedures of IBAMA, Brazil's federal environmental agency. It argues that changes to the sanctioning process, combined with a shift toward military-led operations and the dismissal of technical staff, have weakened the state's ability to combat illegal deforestation and fires in the Amazon.

The report 'Killed by Breathing' analyzes the global crisis of cooking poverty, where 3.83 billion people in 71 countries rely on solid fuels and low-quality stoves. It argues that the current 'clean cooking' sector is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) due to fragmented governance, insufficient funding, and a lack of focus on end-user behavior. The authors propose a shift toward the term 'cooking poverty' to reflect the scale of the problem and recommend integrating cooking solutions into existing electrification infrastructure to leverage its finance and technical support systems.

This report outlines the development of a UK government indicator (K1) designed to measure the overseas environmental impacts of UK consumption of key commodities, as required by the UK's 25-year environment plan.

This research paper analyzes Amazon deforestation as a large-scale collective action problem, focusing on the behavioral and institutional drivers that either hinder or facilitate conservation efforts to prevent a biophysical tipping point.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio analyzes the capital requirements necessary to maximize agricultural productivity in Brazil without increasing deforestation, focusing on crop and beef output at the municipality level.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the specific characteristics of rural credit in the Brazilian Amazon biome, highlighting a heavy reliance on cattle production, limited access to credit compared to other Brazilian regions, and a lack of competition among financial institutions. The analysis suggests that these financial structures contribute to extensive land use and deforestation, advocating for a credit system better aligned with the Forest Code and sustainability indicators.

This research paper by Nella Canales and Mónica Trujillo examines the potential of cassava (yuca) within Colombia's bioeconomy using a biomass value network approach and the Net-map tool to identify current and potential value chains, including the use of residues and by-products.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes rural credit in the Brazilian Amazon, identifying six specific patterns that distinguish it from the rest of Brazil. The analysis highlights limited credit access, a heavy reliance on public banks, and a predominance of livestock financing, which the authors link to extensive land use and deforestation.

This statement by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes a new substitute text for Bill (PL) no 2633/2020, which proposes changes to land regularization rules for federal lands in Brazil. The analysis identifies some procedural improvements regarding inter-agency consultation and the requirement for active Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) status, but criticizes the lack of environmental safeguards and the creation of unjustified benefits for small properties, which the authors argue may reward environmental crimes.

A statement from WRI Brasil analyzing President Jair Bolsonaro's climate commitments made during the Leaders Summit on Climate, noting a contradiction between the announced goals and the administration's actual environmental actions.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the potential for increasing cattle productivity in the Legal Amazon. It finds that current livestock production is homogeneously low-productivity and extensive, meaning that simply disseminating existing local best practices would only yield modest gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and a crackdown on land grabbing and illegal deforestation.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio analyzes the productivity of livestock farming in the Legal Amazon. It finds that the region is dominated by a homogeneous, low-productivity extensive business model, meaning that simply scaling existing local best practices would yield limited gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and the combatting of land grabbing (grilagem).

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes a new substitute text for Bill PL nº 2633/2020, which proposes changes to land regularization rules in Brazil. The authors evaluate the proposal's impact on environmental safeguards, administrative procedures, and the alignment between land and environmental policies.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2007 and 2016, defining it as the partial loss of forest biomass. The study finds that degradation is more widespread than clear-cutting deforestation and often serves as a precursor to it, though this relationship varies significantly by land tenure category. The authors argue that forest degradation is currently under-prioritized in public policy and should be used as an indicator for imminent environmental damage to better allocate conservation resources.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2007 to 2016, defining it as the partial loss of forest biomass. The study finds that degradation is a large-scale phenomenon that often precedes or occurs near clear-cut deforestation, with the relationship varying significantly based on land tenure categories. The authors argue that degradation should be a priority for conservation policy as a leading indicator of imminent environmental damage.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes Bill (PL) No. 510/2021, which proposes modifications to Law No. 11.952/2009 regarding the land regularization of federal public lands. The document argues that the bill repeats setbacks from the expired Provisional Measure (MP) No. 910/2019 and introduces new provisions that benefit medium and large landholders and speculators, potentially incentivizing illegal deforestation and land grabbing (grilagem).

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes Bill (PL) No. 2633/2020, which proposes changes to the legal framework for land regularization of federal public lands in Brazil. The authors argue that the proposed environmental safeguards are insufficient and ineffective, potentially rewarding illegal deforestation by granting titles without requiring the regularization of environmental liabilities.

This briefing paper by the Forest Declaration Assessment examines how the global transition to low-carbon technologies increases the demand for minerals, thereby posing a significant threat to forest ecosystems, particularly Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) in the Amazon and Congo Basin.

This briefing paper outlines findings from CDP's forest module of the States and Regions questionnaire regarding the role of regional governments in addressing forest loss driven by mining and infrastructure, as part of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 3 assessment.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impacts of rural credit on agricultural production and land use across Brazilian biomes between 2002 and 2018. It finds that increased credit availability generally boosts productivity and can reduce deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado, by shifting land use from pasture to crops.