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This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes how deforestation in the Amazon rainforest reduces rainfall and river flow, thereby decreasing the electricity generation capacity and revenue of hydroelectric plants (HPPs) both within the Amazon and in distant regions of Brazil.

This document consists of four case studies detailing national efforts to monitor and report on forest and landscape restoration in Brazil, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Vietnam. It highlights the development of data governance frameworks, the role of multi-stakeholder platforms, and the challenges of standardizing geospatial data to meet national and international climate commitments.

The 2023 report on the Brazilian Forest Code implementation highlights a significant but uneven leap in CAR analysis and PRA regulation across states. While automated tools have accelerated progress in states like Mato Grosso do Sul and Pará, a critical bottleneck remains: only 2.7% of national registrations have completed analysis, largely due to the high volume of required data rectifications and communication failures with property owners. Political shifts in CAR management between federal ministries have added uncertainty, though subnational leadership continues to drive implementation.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines investment opportunities in Brazil's agri-food sector through the lens of low-carbon transition frameworks. It highlights that agriculture and land use drive nearly 75% of Brazil's gross GHG emissions and introduces the 'Five Principles' and 'Five Hallmarks' as tools for investors to verify the credibility of corporate transition plans. Through case studies of Syngenta and Amaggi, the report illustrates the gap between public sustainability commitments and the need for detailed financial strategies and absolute emission reductions. It also reviews Brazilian financial instruments like LCAs and CRAs, noting a potential green investment opportunity of US$ 163 billion by 2030, while warning of regulatory pressures from the EU's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes forest replenishment (reposição florestal) legislation in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes. It argues that current implementation is outdated, focusing on biomass supply for markets rather than ecological compensation for biodiversity loss, and highlights significant failures in the management of replenishment funds and recent legislative setbacks in Goiás.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation and land tenure in the Amazon biome from 2012 to 2021. It identifies critical areas for public intervention and proposes a coordinated strategy between the Brazilian federal and state governments, focusing on rural settlements, the implementation of the Forest Code on private lands, and the territorial zoning of undesignated public areas.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation and land tenure in the Amazon biome from 2012 to 2021 to identify priority areas for government action. It emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts between the Brazilian federal and state governments, highlighting that federal public areas and private properties were the primary sites of forest loss. The report recommends specific strategies: the federal government should focus on rural settlements and undesignated public forests, while state governments should prioritize the implementation of the Forest Code on private lands.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) evaluates the 10-year implementation status of Brazil's Forest Code (Law no. 12,651 of 2012). It identifies the analysis of Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) data as the primary bottleneck and provides a seven-point priority agenda for the Lula administration to accelerate environmental regularization and the implementation of Environmental Compliance Programs (PRA).

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio provides a baseline analysis of smallholders in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes to inform a 'rural just transition.' It highlights the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of small-scale farmers, the disparities in productivity and resource access between the two biomes, and the need for tailored policies that integrate social dimensions with climate mitigation to ensure that the transition to sustainable agriculture does not exacerbate existing inequalities.

This report maps family farmers in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes, highlighting a stark divide in productivity and vulnerability. While Cerrado farmers have larger plots and higher yields, Caatinga farmers face extreme poverty, high illiteracy (over 50%), and a heavy reliance on subsistence farming and cisterns for water. The report argues that a 'just rural transition' must move beyond generic agricultural policies to provide targeted social support for the most vulnerable and 'leapfrog' technological opportunities for those interested in commercializing sustainable, low-carbon produce.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative provides a baseline analysis of smallholders in Brazil's Caatinga and Cerrado biomes to inform a 'rural just transition.' It highlights significant disparities in productivity, resource access, and socioeconomic vulnerability between the two regions, arguing that a one-size-fits-all agricultural policy is insufficient. The analysis emphasizes that smallholders in the Caatinga are particularly prone to poverty and subsistence farming, while those in the Cerrado are more integrated into commercial markets, though both face barriers to adopting sustainable, low-carbon production methods.

This 2023 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) provides a comprehensive analysis of the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states. It focuses on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA), detailing the progress in registration, data analysis, and the formalization of environmental recovery commitments. The document highlights a significant acceleration in 2023, with several states adopting automated analysis tools and expanding the number of signed commitment terms, while identifying persistent bottlenecks in communication with landowners and the lack of technical staff in certain regions.

This policy brief analyzes the 10-year implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code, highlighting a severe lack of uniformity across states. While some states have fully implemented the CAR and PRA systems, others remain stagnant. The analysis of CAR data is identified as the primary bottleneck, with only 2% of national registries fully concluded. The document proposes a seven-point agenda for the federal government, including the creation of a national implementation plan, strengthening the SICAR system, and improving the integration of the Forest Code with anti-deforestation policies and rural credit incentives.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon biome from 2012 to 2021, categorizing forest loss by land tenure to identify priority areas for federal and state government intervention.

BNDES financing in the Legal Amazon from 2009 to 2019 was heavily concentrated in large-scale hydroelectric infrastructure that serves the wider Brazilian grid, despite the region's own significant energy poverty and lack of basic services. While the North Region receives the lowest total share of BNDES disbursements, these funds are highly significant relative to its regional GDP. Recent BNDES initiatives are shifting toward the energy transition, including agreements to replace diesel generation with renewables and a pilot project for solar microgeneration. The report emphasizes that future investments should prioritize reducing regional inequalities in energy, internet access, and basic sanitation.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the activities of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) in the Legal Amazon from 2009 to 2019. It highlights a concentration of funding in large-scale hydroelectric infrastructure that serves the rest of Brazil, while a significant portion of the local population remains without reliable electricity or basic sanitation. The document suggests that BNDES has an opportunity to pivot toward the energy transition and regional development by investing in renewable energy and digital connectivity.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the paradox of the Legal Amazon, a region that generates over 25% of Brazil's electricity via large hydroelectric plants but where millions of residents remain disconnected from the National Interconnected System (SIN). These populations rely on expensive, polluting diesel-powered isolated systems or lack reliable electricity entirely, a situation linked to poor socioeconomic indicators and inefficient auction models for energy supply.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the energy paradox in the Brazilian Legal Amazon, where the region hosts some of the country's largest hydroelectric plants yet millions of residents rely on expensive, polluting diesel-based isolated systems or lack electricity entirely. The document analyzes the socio-economic disparities between connected and isolated municipalities, the financial burden of fuel subsidies, and the barriers to transitioning toward renewable energy sources.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio analyzes how ongoing legal controversies in Brazil are hindering the implementation of the 2012 Forest Code (Law No. 12.651). It details four primary legal disputes: the conflict between the Forest Code and the Atlantic Forest Law, the determination of temporal milestones for Legal Reserve requirements under Article 68, the validity of revising previous environmental commitment terms, and the contradictory criteria for Environmental Reserve Quotas (CRA).

The report analyzes the failure of federal and state regulations in Brazil to effectively cancel Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) inscriptions that overlap with Indigenous Lands (TIs). It highlights that current systems often only protect fully homologated lands, leaving TIs in the demarcation process vulnerable to illegal land claims. The authors propose a standardized administrative process for summary cancellation of total overlaps and a notification system for partial overlaps to protect indigenous territorial rights.