Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes the Novo PAC's impact on the Amazon, arguing that the program lacks regional planning and fails to account for the area's socio-environmental complexity. It highlights contradictions between infrastructure projects and deforestation goals, such as the Ferrogrão railway and BR-319 paving, and criticizes the continued use of fossil fuels in energy projects. The authors recommend a comprehensive regional development plan, better alignment with the PPCDAm's zero-deforestation target, and a shift toward renewable energy and distributed generation.

The report argues that legal gold mining in the Amazon, particularly when conducted by cooperatives, has evolved from an artisanal activity into an industrial-scale enterprise, yet remains subject to an anachronistic and lenient regulatory regime. It highlights a significant increase in legal mining areas between 2016 and 2023, with 82% of Brazil's approved gold mining areas located in the Legal Amazon. The authors identify critical gaps, such as the lack of mandatory prior mineral research for 'garimpo' and the use of simplified, municipalized environmental licensing in Pará, which contradicts the activity's classification as high-impact. The document recommends extending prior research requirements to cooperatives, rejecting legislative proposals that further ease mining restrictions without adding safeguards, and restoring rigorous trifasic licensing and EIA/Rima requirements in Pará.

The document serves as a legal reference guide, listing the specific laws and regulations used to implement the Brazilian Forest Code (Lei nº 12.651/2012). It details federal legislation and provides a state-by-state breakdown of the legal frameworks for the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) in 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District. The listed legislation covers topics such as ecological-economic zoning, legal reserve compensation, the restoration of degraded areas, and the administrative procedures for validating rural property registrations.

The 2025 report by CPI/PUC-Rio reveals a significant but uneven acceleration in the implementation of Brazil's Forest Code. While the proportion of CAR registrations with initiated analysis rose from 15% to 24% nationally, and validated registrations nearly tripled, a deep gap remains between CAR validation and actual environmental recovery via the PRA. Progress is heavily driven by automation and 'compulsory acceptance' of corrections in states like São Paulo and Paraná, while other regions struggle with land tenure insecurity, lack of technical staff, and poor communication with landowners. Federal governance of the Sicar system has improved through a new partnership between MGI, SFB, and Dataprev, and the first national Environmental Reserve Quotes (CRA) were issued in Rio de Janeiro in October 2025.

The document clarifies the distinction between the CAR (the national database of rural properties) and Sicar (the technological platform that operationalizes it). It details the complex shared governance between the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) and the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), particularly following the 2024 migration of data to Dataprev. The briefing assesses the progress of CAR data analysis, noting that while all states have begun the process, only about 3.3% of registries nationwide have been concluded. It highlights the role of automation tools—such as Análise Dinamizada, CAR Digital, and CAR 2.0—in scaling these analyses, while identifying persistent barriers including low data quality and insufficient technical staff.

The report provides a snapshot of the implementation of Brazil's Forest Code in 2024, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It highlights a steady increase in CAR registrations, reaching 7.65 million by November 2024, and notes that all states have now initiated the analysis stage, though this remains a significant bottleneck. While some states like São Paulo and Mato Grosso have made substantial progress through automation and legislative changes, only about 3.3% of all registrations nationwide have completed analysis. The report also details the expansion of the PRA, with 19 states and the Federal District having regulated it, and notes the increasing use of Terms of Commitment (ToC) for environmental recovery in states such as Mato Grosso and Pará.

Mighty Earth argues that a new law in Mato Grosso, Brazil, which penalizes companies participating in the Soy Moratorium by restricting tax benefits, undermines efforts to prevent deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado. The organization highlights that the Soy Moratorium, established in 2006, contributed to a 69% reduction in deforestation across 76 monitored municipalities between 2009 and 2022. The statement warns that this legislative move threatens corporate deforestation-free commitments and conflicts with international regulations like the EUDR.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the deforested area between 2017 and 2023. Evidence suggests that large-scale clearing is driven by external actors rather than resident settlers, as the scale of deforestation is incompatible with family farming. The report recommends that INCRA, IBAMA, and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change prioritize strategic interventions in these high-impact settlements and specific regional superintendencies, particularly those in Santarém, Amazonas, and Southern Pará.

The report analyzes the causal link between Amazon deforestation and reduced hydroelectric power generation in Brazil, utilizing case studies of the Teles Pires HPP and plants in the Paraná Basin to quantify energy and revenue losses.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of its forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the loss in settled areas between 2017 and 2023. The analysis suggests that large-scale clearing is likely driven by external actors rather than smallholder farmers. Geographically, 63% of this deforestation is concentrated in three Incra Regional Superintendencies: Santarém, Sul do Pará, and Amazonas. The authors recommend that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Ibama, and Incra implement focalized interventions in these priority settlements to enhance conservation.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of its forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the deforested area between 2017 and 2023. Evidence suggests that forest loss is driven by external actors rather than resident settlers, as 75% of vegetation loss in these areas involves plots larger than 6.25 hectares, a pattern inconsistent with small-scale family farming. The report highlights that three INCRA regional superintendencies—Santarém, Amazonas, and Southern Pará—account for 63% of deforestation in settled areas. It recommends that the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), IBAMA, and INCRA implement targeted action plans for these priority settlements to enhance conservation effectiveness.

The study finds that the ABC Recuperação credit line has had modest effects on pasture recovery in the Cerrado, with most severely degraded areas remaining unchanged. While some pasture was converted to crops, the program's contribution to the ABC Plan's 2020 target of recovering 15 million hectares of degraded pasture was estimated at only 0.9% to 2.5%. The report highlights that technical assistance is a critical factor for success and recommends improved monitoring and the integration of credit with risk management instruments.

The Growth Next-Generation Agriculture (GAN) is a proposed BRL 250 million (USD 44.4 million) blended finance debt fund designed to support the transition to regenerative agriculture in Brazil. By providing working capital to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that produce biological inputs (bio-inputs), GAN enables these SMEs to offer credit to farmers, reducing the sector's reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The instrument utilizes a Brazilian financial structure involving Fundo de Investimento em Direitos Creditórios (FIDC) investing in Agricultural Receivables Certificates (CRAs), supported by a proprietary AI credit assessment tool from Traive Finance. The fund includes a technical assistance facility managed by Folio Institute to train farmers and SMEs in regenerative practices. GAN targets environmental outcomes including the transition of 2 million hectares to regenerative practices and the annual avoidance of 2,312 tons of CO2e.

The study finds that the ABC Recuperação credit line has had modest effects on pasture recovery, with most areas remaining unchanged and severely degraded pastures showing little improvement. While some pasture was converted to agriculture, the program's contribution to the Plano ABC goal of recovering 15 million hectares by 2020 was estimated at a maximum of 2.5%. Technical assistance was identified as a critical factor for success, particularly for severely degraded areas. The report also notes that some areas were deforested immediately prior to receiving credit, suggesting a need for better ex-ante monitoring and the integration of risk management tools.

The document assesses the socio-environmental crises in the Amazon basin across Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, highlighting how extractive industries, deforestation, and poor governance impact indigenous and marginalized communities. It argues that these communities are often excluded from environmental policy-making due to a lack of local media, linguistic barriers, and safety risks for journalists. The report identifies community radio as the most effective tool for amplifying local voices, preserving traditional ecological knowledge, and promoting climate justice, while noting significant challenges such as financial instability, political interference, and the need for native-language broadcasting.

The report identifies critical gaps in the governance of legal deforestation in the MATOPIBA region (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia), where agricultural expansion for soy and corn drives significant vegetation loss. It highlights a lack of clarity in legal competence between state and municipal authorities for issuing Authorizations for the Suppression of Vegetation (ASV) and the failure of the national SINAFLOR system to serve as an effective management tool. Key issues include underreporting of ASVs, a lack of public transparency regarding georeferenced data, and technical incompatibilities between state and federal systems. The authors recommend that the federal government clarify issuing competencies, improve SINAFLOR's functionality, and ensure open access to complete ASV data to support the goal of zero deforestation by 2030.

The document examines the systemic failures in managing legal deforestation in Brazil's Matopiba region, highlighting the inefficiency of the Sinaflor system and the lack of transparency in ASV data. It argues that the current governance framework allows for significant underreporting of legal land conversion, which undermines the goal of zero deforestation by 2030 in the Cerrado biome.

This document is an annex listing the federal and state legislation consulted for a 2024 report titled "ONDE ESTAMOS NA IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DO CÓDIGO FLORESTAL?" (Where are we in the implementation of the Forest Code?). It provides a comprehensive bibliography of laws, decrees, normative instructions, and resolutions related to the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) across various Brazilian states.

The report demonstrates a causal link between Amazonian deforestation and reduced hydroelectric output in Brazil, affecting plants both within the Amazon and in distant regions like the Paraná Basin. Through case studies of the Teles Pires and several Paraná Basin plants, it quantifies energy and financial losses, highlighting that 17 of Brazil's 20 largest hydroelectric plants are exposed to the 'flying rivers' mechanism. The document argues that forest conservation is essential for national energy security and suggests targeted restoration policies based on land tenure categories.

The 2024 report by Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio examines the progress of the Brazilian Forest Code's implementation. While CAR registration is consolidated nationwide, the analysis phase remains a critical bottleneck, with only 15% of registries having initiated analysis and 3.3% concluded. The report highlights the adoption of automation tools like 'CAR Digital' in Mato Grosso and the 'Análise Dinamizada' by the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) to accelerate validation. It also notes advancements in the PRA, with new states like Espírito Santo, Goiás, and Tocantins regulating the program. However, significant challenges persist, including low registry quality, communication gaps with landowners, and legal disputes regarding the Atlantic Forest biome.