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This executive summary provides a 2021 snapshot of the implementation of Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (Forest Code), specifically focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). While property registration is well-advanced nationwide, the report identifies significant bottlenecks in the analysis and validation of these registrations and a lack of producer interest in joining the PRA, leaving the final stage of environmental regularization as a major challenge across most states.

The report evaluates agricultural risk management in Brazil, finding that while the insurance market has grown, it remains highly concentrated and underfunded compared to rural credit. It highlights that nearly 60% of municipalities lack insurance and suggests redirecting public funds from credit to insurance and expanding the use of Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (ZARC) to improve productivity and land use.

This research paper introduces a high-spatial-resolution bottom-up approach for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural trade, applying it to Brazilian soy exports from 2010–2015 to demonstrate significant variability in carbon footprints based on origin and destination.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It evaluates state-level regulations, the progress of CAR validation, and the operational status of PRAs, highlighting significant regional disparities in progress and the technical challenges facing state environmental agencies.

This fact sheet describes a green bond issued by Taesa (Transmissora Aliança de Energia Elétrica) on May 24, 2019, to finance energy transmission infrastructure in Brazil.

This briefing describes SEI-PCS, a modeling approach developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) to provide fine-scale subnational data on the origins of traded commodities and their associated socio-environmental impacts. The tool is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional footprinting methods, which typically rely on country-level macroeconomic figures, by recreating supply chains to link consumption to specific production sites.

This fact sheet provides details on a private placement green bond issued by Faro Energy on July 10, 2018, to finance distributed solar power projects in Brazil.

This research paper analyzes the economic impact of agricultural expansion in the Matopiba region of Brazil (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia) within the Cerrado biome. Finding that agricultural production accelerated after the late 1990s—driven by a shift toward soy—the study concludes that this expansion increased total GDP per capita by 11% relative to non-Cerrado areas, primarily through direct agricultural growth and indirect spillovers into the services sector. While access to electricity and durable goods (TVs, refrigerators) improved, the expansion had no significant effect on manufacturing GDP, migration, or educational attainment.

This executive summary describes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio's Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas, under the INPUT project, regarding the economic impacts of agricultural expansion in the MATOPIBA region of Brazil. The research focuses on the growth of grain production, specifically soy and corn, and its effects on local municipalities within the Cerrado biome compared to those outside it.

This policy brief analyzes the coherence of national development, conservation, and climate policies in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru using a water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approach. It identifies significant trade-offs between ambitious renewable energy and agricultural targets and the preservation of the Amazon biome's ecosystem services, which are critical for regional water, food, and energy security.

This research paper analyzes the drivers and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural expansion in the Matopiba region of Brazil between 1995 and 2012. The author finds that expansion was heavily concentrated in the Cerrado biome, driven by technological innovations in soil management and soy varieties. This shift led to significant increases in GDP per capita and improved access to basic consumer goods and electricity, though it had no significant effect on migration or educational investments.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the effectiveness of deforestation policies in the Brazilian Amazon, noting a significant reduction in deforestation from 2004 to 2012 followed by stagnation and a rise in 2013. The authors argue that while command-and-control measures successfully targeted large landowners, new incentive-based strategies are required to address deforestation by smallholders and in remote areas.

This report by Friends of the Earth International criticizes the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for financing large-scale, export-oriented agrofuel projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The document argues that these projects exacerbate social and environmental inequities, threaten biodiversity, and may increase greenhouse gas emissions due to land-use changes, rather than serving as a viable climate solution.

Bureau Veritas UK Limited provided a pre-issuance limited assurance report for Faro Energy Holdings UK Ltd.'s 2018 Brazilian Solar Bond, concluding that the issuance process conforms with the Climate Bonds Standard 2.1 and Sector Criteria for Solar version 2.1.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative describes research conducted by the Land Use Initiative (INPUT) regarding the agricultural expansion in the MATOPIBA region of Brazil. The document analyzes the economic and social consequences of increased soy and maize production, specifically comparing municipalities within the Cerrado biome to those outside it between the late 1990s and 2012.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) and Amazônia 2030 analyzes the potential for carbon capture through forest restoration in the Brazilian Amazon. It proposes the Reversing Deforestation Mechanism (RDM), a jurisdictional payment system for net carbon removals, as a way to generate significant economic revenue and help Brazil meet its climate goals (NDC). The report argues that combining the RDM with other financial mechanisms like JREDD+ and the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) can create a comprehensive financial architecture to protect standing forests and restore degraded lands.

This report by Climate Policy Initiative and Amazônia 2030 analyzes the role of state public policies in promoting forest restoration in the Brazilian Amazon. It examines the regulatory frameworks of seven states, identifying that while state policies significantly drive mandatory restoration through the Forest Code, there are substantial gaps in incentives for voluntary restoration, integration with carbon markets, and the promotion of native species silviculture.

This report by Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-RIO and Amazon 2030 analyzes the potential for carbon sequestration through forest restoration in the Brazilian Amazon. It proposes the Reversing Deforestation Mechanism (RDM), a jurisdictional results-based payment system, as a way to mobilize significant investment and align land use with climate goals. The report compares the RDM with other financial mechanisms like JREDD+ and the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), arguing that a complementary approach to conservation, avoided deforestation, and restoration is essential for Brazil to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).