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This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes a legislative report by Senator Carlos Fávaro regarding Bill (PL) nº 510/2021, which proposes changes to the legal framework for land regularization in Brazil. The authors argue that the report favors medium and large land occupants while offering no benefits to small farmers, potentially incentivizing illegal deforestation and land grabbing (grilagem).

This report examines the policy landscape required to enable a transition to net zero emissions in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, focusing on the factors that influence international climate finance and the necessity of long-term policy frameworks to mobilize private capital.

This report analyzes the role of Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) in the prior oversight of federal railway and highway concessions under the Investment Partnership Program (PPI). It examines how the TCU manages socio-environmental risks and the impact of its timing in the project life cycle, specifically regarding the approval of Technical, Economical and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA).

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the COP26 pledge to halt deforestation as a rebranding of flawed initiatives that allow corporations and polluting nations to offset emissions rather than reduce them, warning that it risks facilitating land grabbing and human rights violations.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the COP26 commitment to end deforestation, characterizing it as a superficial effort that allows major polluters to continue emitting carbon through carbon offsets and market-based mechanisms rather than implementing regulatory action and protecting indigenous rights.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes the COP26 pledge to end deforestation, arguing it serves as a facade for continued fossil fuel use and carbon emissions through offsetting mechanisms. The organization warns that the pledge lacks regulatory teeth and risks repeating the failures of REDD+, potentially leading to land grabbing and human rights violations.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the role of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) in the prior control of socio-environmental risks for federal railway and highway concessions. It argues that the TCU has become the primary, albeit late, instance for approving Technical, Economic, and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA), often filling a governance gap left by the Executive branch. The document examines specific cases to illustrate how the TCU manages environmental liabilities and the risks associated with the 'Manifestation of Interest' (PMI) procurement model.

This working paper by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) outlines a structural agenda for a green economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. It distinguishes between short-term stimulus and long-term structural reforms, providing a nested framework of policy measures and a set of prioritisation criteria to help governments transition from immediate crisis management to systemic socio-ecological transformation.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative examines how financial instruments for sustainable agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) can leverage national regulations, government subsidies, and subsidized rural credit to overcome investment barriers and attract private capital.

This policy brief examines the environmental and social challenges of the mining industry and the limitations of current international and domestic governance. It argues that achieving 'sustainable mining' requires a shift toward development partnerships, stronger community consultation, and the integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals into mining operations to mitigate the 'resource curse' and environmental degradation.

This policy brief reviews 156 nature-based solution (NBS) projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting their potential to replace carbon-intensive infrastructure. While projects are present in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru—primarily in the water and sanitation sector—over half are still in the preparation stage and lack sufficient financing to scale.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of public policies used to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, consolidating academic evidence to propose a strengthened policy framework for forest protection and sustainable development.

This report finds that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is primarily driven by land grabbing rather than meat demand. Unlike other regions of Brazil where cattle growth increases land prices, in the Amazon, cattle expansion is associated with falling land prices and increased pasture degradation, reflecting an extensive, low-productivity business model fueled by the illegal occupation of public lands.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) uses an atmospheric transport model to analyze how deforestation in the Amazon Forest, specifically within the Xingu River Basin, reduces rainfall in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The study demonstrates that forest cover is critical for maintaining humidity in air parcels, and its removal leads to significant decreases in precipitation that threaten agriculture, energy generation, and urban water supplies.

This report by the World Resources Institute outlines the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and community lands in climate change mitigation. It argues that while community lands cover approximately half of the world's land and provide immense ecosystem services and carbon sequestration, they are often legally unrecognized and underfunded. The document provides evidence that secure land tenure leads to lower deforestation rates and proposes six strategic steps to better integrate community land management into global climate action.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) maps four federal transport infrastructure projects in Pará, Brazil (EF-170 Ferrogrão, BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230) to analyze their environmental risks and governance. The study employs an innovative market access approach to quantify deforestation potential more accurately than distance-based methods and provides a framework for the state government to engage with the federal government and the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) based on the specific life cycle stage of each project.

The UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE), held on 24 September 2021, convened over 130 global leaders to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. The event resulted in the first-ever global roadmap for SDG7 and the announcement of over 160 Energy Compacts, which committed more than USD 400 billion in new finance and investment to combat energy poverty and decarbonize energy systems.

This fact sheet provides a summary of the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge as of May 24, 2022, listing the financial commitments and geographic focus of 43 participating companies.

This research paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) proposes a framework to evaluate the credibility of corporate decarbonization transitions to prevent 'greenwashing' in transition finance. It introduces five essential characteristics for a credible transition—alignment with the Paris Agreement, robust planning, tangible action, internal oversight, and external reporting—and suggests a certification mechanism for Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) and corporate entities to provide scientific, standardized benchmarks for investors.

This discussion paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative proposes a framework to evaluate the credibility of corporate decarbonization transitions to prevent greenwashing in sustainable finance. It introduces five 'hallmarks' of a credible transition—Paris-aligned goals, robust plans, implementation action, internal monitoring, and external reporting—and suggests a certification system to categorize companies as 'Green Transition' or 'Interim Transition'.