Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines ADPF 743, a legal action initially focused on combating deforestation and fires in the Amazon and Pantanal, which evolved into a 'structural process' for land governance. The STF's execution phase has forced the integration of fragmented environmental, land, and registry databases (such as CAR, SIGEF, and SNCR) and established inter-ministerial coordination committees. The document highlights that the court's intervention has linked land regularization to environmental compliance, preventing the legalization of illegally deforested areas, while noting that the long-term sustainability of these gains depends on their transition from judicial supervision to permanent administrative routines.

The document outlines the environmental risks associated with the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, specifically regarding deforestation in the Amazon and other biomes, the extraction of critical minerals, and the potential conflict between the trade deal and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The project aims to replace static connectivity models with a dynamic system using machine learning and remote sensing to track jaguar habitats and carbon stocks across 127 million hectares. It focuses on establishing scientific partnerships for data collection, developing a web portal for decision-makers, and building technical capacity among government and NGO stakeholders to integrate this data into national and regional land-use planning.

This fact sheet presents data to justify a transition away from fossil fuels in Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasizing the risk of stranded assets and the region's high vulnerability to climate impacts. It highlights a contradiction where the region possesses the world's cleanest electricity grid yet continues to increase fossil fuel production and consumption. The document calls for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies—which totaled USD 52.8 billion in 2024—and the implementation of a 'Just Transition Mechanism' following COP30 to support labor reconversion and community sovereignty.

The report examines the potential for implementing OECMs (meccs) in Brazil to achieve the '30x30' biodiversity goals. It analyzes various spatial mechanisms, including protected areas (UCs), Indigenous lands (TIs), Quilombola territories (TQs), and private lands. The document highlights that while formal protected areas are established, significant conservation occurs in traditional territories and private lands that lack formal recognition. It identifies land tenure insecurity as a primary obstacle to inclusive conservation and proposes that the mecc framework be used to prioritize land regularization for traditional peoples and communities (PCTs). The report concludes with recommendations to integrate meccs with social policies, ensure equitable governance, and provide technical and financial support to local actors.

The proposal seeks €2,773,855 over 36 months to develop Bolivia's first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) targeting 2035. It addresses critical barriers including weak institutional capacity, poor intersectoral coordination, and insufficient scientific evidence for adaptation. The project focuses on four priority sectors: water, forests and biodiversity, agriculture and rural development, and human health, with education as a cross-cutting theme. Key objectives include establishing a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system, catalyzing private sector investment, and creating a pipeline of bankable adaptation projects. Implementation will be led by the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth (APMT) and the Ministry of Development Planning (MPD), with GIZ as the delivery partner.

Brazil has announced a new NDC targeting a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 59–67% by 2035 relative to 2005 levels. To achieve this, the government is developing a 2024-2035 Climate Plan consisting of an Adaptation Plan and a Mitigation Plan. The document argues that private sector investment is essential for success and recommends harmonizing sectoral policies, promoting corporate transition plans, and strengthening public-private dialogue. Key focus areas include halting illegal deforestation, decarbonizing agriculture, transitioning energy and industry away from fossil fuels, and implementing a national Emissions Trading System (ETS).

The report finds that climate and health policies in Brazil are currently poorly connected, though there is a growing movement toward integration. Stakeholders identify significant barriers, including political polarization, a lack of risk perception, and institutional silos. However, they see opportunities in the upcoming COP30, the wide reach of the Unified Health System (SUS), and Brazil's renewable energy strengths. Recommended strategies include improving scientific communication, adopting 'Planetary Health' and 'One Health' frameworks, and increasing intersectoral governance to create a more resilient national health and climate infrastructure.

The report analyzes the hydrological impacts of forest fires and deforestation in the Chiquitania region of Bolivia, specifically focusing on the Curichi Grande and Tucavaca watersheds. It details the development of a multi-criteria prioritization tool using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and a hydrological model using WEAP to assess water availability and soil retention. Field findings from 2021-2022 highlight critical water scarcity and quality issues in local communities following the 2019 and 2020 fires, while the report argues that integrating fire risk into water management is essential for sustainable regional development.

Between August 22 and 25, 2024, over 60 million people in Brazil faced extreme temperatures and wildfires exacerbated by climate change. High temperatures were forecasted to be five times more likely due to global warming, with anomalies reaching up to 10°C above normal in São Paulo. Wildfires have burned over 760,000 hectares in the Amazon and 1.3 million hectares in the Pantanal, with climate change increasing Pantanal fire intensity by 40%. On August 20, PM2.5 pollution levels reached 11 times the World Health Organization's recommendations, causing increased respiratory illnesses and affecting 10 Brazilian states as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru.

The document details restoration monitoring efforts across four countries. In Brazil, the Brazilian Restoration and Reforestation Observatory (BRRO) tracks progress toward climate agreements using a multi-stakeholder platform and satellite data. Kenya has developed a monitoring framework with 30 indicators integrated into its 2024 National Ecosystem and Landscape Restoration Strategy. Burkina Faso utilizes the ONEDD platform for centralized data sharing among government and NGO partners. Vietnam employs the FORMIS system for forest status monitoring, though it faces challenges with data accessibility and consistency.

The document details the methodology for tracking deforestation and scoring the corporate responses of ten major soy and cattle companies in Brazil. It describes a Tracker based on 172 cases of deforestation and conversion across the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes, and a Scorecard that evaluates companies on responsiveness, transparency, action, and the robustness of their Deforestation- and Conversion-Free (DCF) policies.

A study by World Weather Attribution found that human-induced climate change significantly increased the intensity and likelihood of an early spring heat event in South America, which affected Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. The event, occurring approximately once every 30 years in the current climate, would have been 1.4 to 4.3 °C cooler without human-caused warming. The study notes that the likelihood of such an event has increased by at least 100 times due to climate change. Future warming of 2°C above pre-industrial levels is projected to make similar events five times more likely and 1.1 to 1.6 °C hotter. The researchers highlight a lack of heat action plans in the affected region, which increases vulnerability for the urban poor and ecosystems, despite the fact that adaptation can reduce morbidity and mortality.

The document analyzes the impact of the EUDR on Brazilian exports of commodities such as cattle, soy, and coffee. It argues that while Brazil possesses a sophisticated framework of environmental policies—including the Forest Code and satellite monitoring systems—that align with EU goals, significant challenges remain. These include the short implementation timeline, the high cost of due diligence for smallholders, and the lack of a comprehensive national traceability system. The authors suggest that the EUDR could serve as a catalyst for Brazil to achieve zero illegal deforestation by 2030 and enhance its market share in Europe by utilizing the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) as a sustainability certificate.

The document argues that current global food production pushes the planet beyond its natural limits, contributing significantly to biodiversity loss, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions. WWF proposes a systemic transformation focused on four strategic pillars: conservation of critical landscapes, regenerative and resilient systems, thriving people and communities, and innovation and influence. Key goals for 2030 include achieving zero deforestation from commodity expansion and halving the footprint of agricultural food systems through circular approaches.

The document argues that current global food production is pushing the planet beyond its natural limits, contributing significantly to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. WWF proposes a 'nature-positive approach' centered on four strategic pillars: conservation of critical landscapes, regenerative and resilient systems, thriving people and communities, and innovation and influence. Key targets for 2030 include achieving zero deforestation from agricultural expansion and halving the environmental footprint of food systems by scaling circular and regenerative practices.

The briefing analyzes PL nº 36/2021, which proposes significant changes to the Brazilian Forest Code. The authors argue that the bill would create a regime of general amnesty for illegal deforestation between 2008 and 2020, potentially canceling 35 billion reais in fines. Key concerns include the 'tacit approval' of rural environmental registries (CAR), the indefinite postponement of environmental regularization through the PRA, and the weakening of protections for various biomes and conservation units.

Research on cattle pastures in the Brazilian Pantanal reveals that seasonally flooded pastures are significant net emitters of CO2 carbon, particularly during aerobic phases, suggesting that improved livestock management and drought-resistant grasses could mitigate these emissions.

The document proposes the creation of the 'Brazilian Platform of sustainability', an integrated system and information toolkit designed to unify fragmented public and private traceability and certification data for cattle and soybeans in the Legal Amazon. The initiative aims to address information gaps that hinder the enforcement of deforestation-free supply chains and the effectiveness of existing moratoriums. By connecting databases like the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Brazilian Traceability Service of the Cattle and Buffalo Production Chains (SISBOV), the platform intends to increase transparency, attract private investment for low-emission agriculture, and support Brazil's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The project, implemented by the FAO over 24 months with a budget of USD 449,510, will establish a governance model involving government agencies, industry associations, and NGOs to foster a sustainable agricultural economy.

The report finds that increased rural credit generally boosts agricultural production and productivity while reducing deforestation pressures, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. This occurs as credit enables producers to shift from extensive livestock ranching to more intensive crop cultivation. The analysis reveals that these positive land-use effects are most pronounced in the Amazon and Cerrado, while productivity gains are more significant in the Atlantic Forest, Pampas, and Caatinga. Additionally, the report notes that rural credit has a substantially higher positive impact on grain production compared to other crops.