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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 briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines how climate action is becoming more inclusive and effective by integrating intersectional social justice movements. Through various case studies, it illustrates collaborations between climate activists and groups fighting for debt cancellation, vaccine equity, homeless rights, racial and indigenous justice, gender equality, and fair labor transitions.

This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Directorate during the 2020-2021 intersessional period. It outlines progress in science, capacity building, and science-policy interfaces, specifically highlighting the adaptation of programs to the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of transdisciplinary research and strategic partnerships across the Americas.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Directorate's summary report for the 2020-2021 intersessional period details progress in scientific research, capacity building, and science-policy interfaces despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Key achievements include the launch of the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) fellowship program, the establishment of new strategic partnerships with entities like the Wellcome Trust and Mitacs Canada, and the implementation of transdisciplinary projects on climate-driven infectious diseases in the Caribbean.

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 report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the industrial policy of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM), arguing that while it is named a 'free zone,' it functions conceptually as an 'enterprise zone' focused on regional development rather than international trade. The authors suggest that the current incentive structure fails to drive productivity or wage growth and recommend redefining the ZFM's identity to align its fiscal incentives with either international competitiveness or sustainable regional development.

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 briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes how Brazil's New Bidding Law (Lei nº 14.133/2021) can be used to better prevent socio-environmental impacts in infrastructure projects. The authors argue that the law's detailed requirements for preliminary technical studies provide an opportunity to introduce a 'pre-feasibility analysis' phase, which would identify risks earlier in the project lifecycle and improve the quality of subsequent environmental studies and licensing processes.

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 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 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the public contracting processes for socio-environmental studies—specifically Technical, Economic, and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)—for federal land transportation projects in the Brazilian Amazon. The researchers identify significant gaps in transparency, budget allocation, and the timing of socio-environmental analyses within the project life cycle, providing recommendations to improve the robustness of infrastructure projects and their mitigation measures.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the public procurement processes for socio-environmental studies—specifically Technical, Economic, and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA)—for land transport infrastructure projects in the Brazilian Amazon. The analysis identifies significant gaps in transparency, a lack of clear selection and evaluation criteria in bidding documents, and an imbalance in budget allocation that favors diagnostic data over impact assessment and mitigation. The authors recommend increasing transparency in bidding, specifying budget allocation for socio-environmental components, and introducing a 'pre-feasibility' phase to filter projects before they reach the environmental licensing stage.

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 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.

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

This executive summary from the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) examines the health threats posed by smoke from forest fires and bushfires, which are increasingly driven or fueled by climate change. It details the acute health risks to vulnerable populations, provides case studies from Canada, Australia, and Brazil, and recommends urgent forest protection, health system adaptation, and global climate action to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This executive summary from the Global Climate and Health Alliance examines the health impacts of wildfire smoke, highlighting events in the Amazon, Australia, and Canada. It details how smoke pollutants affect vulnerable populations and calls for immediate forest protection, improved health risk adaptation, and global climate action to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This executive summary from the Global Climate and Health Alliance examines the emerging threat of wildfire smoke and climate change on human health, focusing on case studies from Canada, Australia, and Brazil.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the role of rural credit policy in Brazil as a tool for increasing agricultural productivity while reducing deforestation. It argues that improving the efficiency and sustainability alignment of rural credit can allow Brazil to expand food production without further area expansion, leveraging existing cleared lands.