Search Climate Insights Directory

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 fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio examines the impact of property rights uncertainty in rural Brazil, highlighting how legal instability contributes to deforestation, violence, and economic inefficiency.

This research paper analyzes the relationship between agricultural land use and deforestation in the Tapajós basin of the Brazilian Amazon from 2002 to 2012. The author finds that an increase in the relative price of crops (specifically soy) compared to beef encourages the conversion of pasture to cropland, which in turn reduces local deforestation rates.

This research paper evaluates the relative contributions of agricultural output prices and conservation policies to the reduction of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2002 and 2009. Using a panel of 380 municipalities, the authors find that while agricultural prices drive deforestation, conservation policies implemented in 2004 and 2008 significantly curbed forest clearings without negatively impacting local GDP or population trends.

The Priority Municipalities (MPs) policy in Brazil significantly reduced deforestation in the Amazon between 2008 and 2011, avoiding the clearing of 11,359 km2 of forest. The reduction was primarily driven by increased monitoring and law enforcement, such as fines, rather than economic measures. The study found that this environmental protection did not negatively impact agricultural GDP or production, suggesting that economic growth and preservation can coexist in the region.

This research paper evaluates the effectiveness of the Brazilian government's 'Priority Municipalities' (MPs) policy, implemented in 2008 to combat illegal deforestation in the Amazon. The authors find that blacklisting municipalities significantly reduced deforestation, primarily through intensified monitoring and law enforcement rather than economic sanctions. Crucially, the study concludes that this reduction in deforestation did not negatively impact agricultural production or credit concessions in the affected areas.

A 2014 report by the Climate Policy Initiative finds that the 'Municípios Prioritários' policy reduced deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 35% between 2008 and 2011, preventing 11,359 km2 of forest loss. The reduction was driven by increased enforcement and fines by Ibama, rather than economic pressures or credit restrictions, which showed no significant impact on agricultural production or GDP.

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the complexities of governing sustainability in tropical agricultural-forest frontiers, using the Brazilian Amazon as a primary case study. It argues that the high diversity of actors—ranging from subsistence smallholders to large-scale commercial farms—requires tailored, actor-specific policy approaches rather than 'one-size-fits-all' models to effectively reduce deforestation and alleviate poverty.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the effectiveness of deforestation policies in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2011. It argues that while command-and-control measures successfully reduced deforestation among large landowners, they are less effective for smallholders and in remote areas, necessitating a shift toward incentive-based and tailored strategies.

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 executive summary analyzes the drivers of reduced deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2010, specifically comparing the impact of agricultural price fluctuations against the implementation of conservation policies in 2004 and 2008. The study concludes that while agricultural prices influence deforestation rates, government policies were responsible for preventing the loss of approximately 62,000 square kilometers of forest between 2005 and 2009.

This executive summary analyzes whether the substantial decline in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2009 was driven by agricultural price fluctuations or government conservation policies. Using regression techniques and counterfactual simulations, the authors conclude that conservation policies implemented at two key turning points (2004 and 2008) were responsible for approximately half of the avoided deforestation during this period.

This 2010 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines Brazil's climate change strategy, noting a transition from treating the issue as an international relations matter to a central domestic political priority. While Brazil possesses a low-carbon energy matrix and has reduced deforestation, rapid economic growth and the discovery of pre-salt oil reserves threaten to increase energy-related emissions.

This infographic by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-RIO examines the insecurity of rural property rights in Brazil, detailing how poor titling and institutional complexity lead to violence, deforestation, and economic inefficiency.

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.

A fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzing deforestation trends in the Amazon, highlighting the effectiveness of Brazilian conservation policies and the shift toward smaller clearings to evade satellite detection.

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).

A fact sheet from the Climate Policy Initiative analyzing deforestation trends in the Amazon between 2002 and 2012, highlighting a shift in deforestation methods to evade satellite detection.

This policy brief, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in June 2015, defines 'frontier landscapes' as remote, sparsely populated areas undergoing rapid transformation due to agricultural expansion and socio-economic shifts. Based on a multi-stakeholder forum at the Global Landscapes Forum in Lima, Peru, the document outlines six propositions to foster sustainable, inclusive, and legitimate development in these regions, emphasizing the need for early action, common ground, institutional capacity, political support, valuation of actor diversity, and robust monitoring.

This case study describes the transition of the Soares family, based in Juruti, Brazil, from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture to a sustainable agroforestry system. Supported by a pilot project led by WRI Brasil and Preta Terra, the family is diversifying its production beyond cassava to include native trees and fruit species to increase income, food security, and climate resilience while restoring the Amazon landscape.