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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.

Friends of the Earth International issued a statement condemning the June 2022 assassinations of Brazilian indigenist activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari region of Brazil's Amazonas state.

Friends of the Earth International issued a statement condemning the murders of indigenous activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari region of Brazil, calling for international pressure on the Brazilian government to investigate the crimes and protect indigenous territories.

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 analyzes the socio-environmental impacts of logistics infrastructure in the Legal Amazon, Brazil, noting that such projects often drive deforestation and carbon emissions while providing limited local benefit. It proposes replacing inconsistent geographic-based 'area of influence' delimitations with a 'market access approach' based on transportation costs and market size. Using the BR-319 highway as a case study, the report demonstrates how this approach identifies a much larger area of risk, including numerous indigenous territories and conservation units, and recommends that the Ministry of Infrastructure integrate these assessments into the earliest stages of project planning.

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).

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio analyzes the relationship between forest fires and subsequent deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2013 to 2020. The study finds that while forest fires are not systematically used as a direct first step to clear vegetation in the same location, they serve as a strong leading indicator of imminent deforestation in the surrounding vicinity, particularly in rural settlements and occupied public lands.

This report analyzes the link between forest fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (2013-2020). It finds that while only 11% of fire-affected forest is directly converted to clear-cut deforestation within three years, fire is a strong indicator of regional risk, with high rates of nearby deforestation. This association is particularly strong in rural settlements and public land holdings, suggesting fire's role in land grabbing. Regional disparities exist, with significant intensification of this pattern in states like Acre and Pará.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the governance and environmental risks associated with four federal transport infrastructure projects in the state of Pará: Ferrogrão, BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230. Using a 'market access approach' to quantify deforestation risks, the study finds that these projects collectively threaten nearly 7,000 square kilometers of Amazonian native vegetation, with over half of the impact concentrated in Pará. The report highlights significant transparency issues regarding project documentation and urges the Pará state government to engage in dialogue with the federal government to integrate deforestation control funding into project designs.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the governance, areas of influence, and environmental risks associated with four federal transport infrastructure projects in the state of Pará: Ferrogrão, BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230. Using a 'market access approach' to quantify deforestation risks, the study finds that these projects collectively threaten nearly 7,000 square kilometers of native Amazon vegetation, with over half of that impact occurring in Pará. The report highlights significant transparency issues regarding project documentation and argues that the state government should engage in earlier dialogue with the federal government to incorporate mitigation costs and deforestation control into project designs.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the governance, influence areas, and environmental risks of four federal transport infrastructure projects in the state of Pará: the Ferrogrão railway and the BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230 highways. The study highlights a systemic lack of transparency in socio-environmental documentation and uses a market-access methodology to quantify the risk of deforestation associated with these projects.

This executive summary analyzes the impact of Decree No. 9,760/2019 on the administrative enforcement procedures of IBAMA, Brazil's federal environmental agency. It argues that changes to the sanctioning process, combined with a shift toward military-led operations and the dismissal of technical staff, have weakened the state's ability to combat illegal deforestation and fires in the Amazon.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the potential for increasing cattle productivity in the Legal Amazon. It finds that current livestock production is homogeneously low-productivity and extensive, meaning that simply disseminating existing local best practices would only yield modest gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and a crackdown on land grabbing and illegal deforestation.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio analyzes the productivity of livestock farming in the Legal Amazon. It finds that the region is dominated by a homogeneous, low-productivity extensive business model, meaning that simply scaling existing local best practices would yield limited gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and the combatting of land grabbing (grilagem).

This 2021 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) provides a comprehensive analysis of the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states. It focuses on the progress of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA), identifying significant bottlenecks in the analysis and validation of registries and the low rate of producer adherence to regularization programs. The report highlights disparities between states, noting that while registration is advanced nationwide, the transition to actual environmental recovery remains a major challenge.

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.

This 2020 report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio monitors the state-level implementation of Brazil's Native Vegetation Protection Law (Forest Code), specifically focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It identifies the analysis and validation of CAR registrations as the primary bottleneck and notes that while some states have made progress, many lack operational PRAs and sufficient normative frameworks for forest restoration.

This report by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) and Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) argues that the Amazon is 'too big to fail' and must transition from a 'deforestation economy' to an inclusive green economy. It details the systemic risks of an ecological tipping point and proposes the creation of the Amazon Green Economy Hub in Manaus to coordinate multi-stakeholder efforts, scale bioeconomy enterprises, and reform economic policies to value standing forests over land liquidation.

This 2020 report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012) across Brazilian states, focusing on the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It identifies significant disparities in progress, noting that while CAR registration is widespread, the analysis and validation phase remains a critical bottleneck. The report details state-level regulations for restoring Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserves (RL), the role of the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) in providing technological infrastructure, and the legal uncertainties surrounding the potential implementation of a Federal PRA.