On November 11, 2024, one of the first substantive outcomes of the 29th Session of the UN Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) was approved. The President of COP19 introduced a draft decision of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the
On October 8 2024, Brazil enacted Federal Law No. 14,993/2024, which stems from Bill No. 528/2020, the “Fuels of the Future Bill.” The new law, which addresses several matters related to decarbonization, provides for the regulation and inspection of activities involving the capture and geological storage of carbon dioxide, also known as CCS (Carbon Capture
On September 16, 2024, Brazil’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for climate damage resulting from environmental infractions allegedly perpetrated by livestock farmers inside a Conservation Unit, more specifically the Jamanxim National Park, located in the Amazon Rainforest.
In Brazil, a Conservation Unit is a type of specially protected area, legally established by public
On March 25, 2024, the Brazilian federal government published Decree No. 11.961/2024, establishing an advisory and deliberative group, the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy Interinstitutional Committee (“CITSB”), which will coordinate the development and implementation of the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (“TSB”). The TSB will establish a classification system for sustainable projects and activities, providing standardized terminology for companies
On December 14, the National Congress of Brazil overrode most of the presidential vetoes to Federal Law No. 14.701/2023 (the “Time Limit Act”), which regulates Article 231 of the Constitution to set guidelines for the recognition, demarcation, use and management of Indigenous lands. The Time Limit Act was initially published on October 20, 2023, but
Following COP28 in Dubai, where our partner Luiz Gustavo Bezerra was present and participated in various discussions related to the transition to a low-carbon economy and the role of economic instruments and carbon markets, among several other topics, the implementation of initiatives that financially value the adoption of environmentally desirable practices by individuals and institutions
On 27 September 2023, Brazil’s Supreme Court concluded the trial of Extraordinary Appeal No. 1,017,365, which discussed a cut-off date for indigenous occupation as a requirement for demarcation of indigenous lands. Based on a strict interpretation of the Brazilian Constitution, the time limit thesis tried to implement a cut-off date to restrict indigenous land claims, arguing that only indigenous lands occupied on the date of the 1988 Constitution promulgation could be demarcated by the Federal Government. In reviewing the appeal, the Supreme Court not only rejected the time limit requirement, but also established a broad set of criteria covering other relevant aspects to the demarcation of indigenous lands.Continue Reading Brazil’s Supreme Court rejects time limit requirement for indigenous land demarcation
Brazil’s draft Sustainable Taxonomy Action Plan (the Action Plan), prepared by the Ministry of Finance, is currently under public consultation and receiving contributions and comments for its improvement. The deadline for taking part in the public consultation is October 20, 2023.
The development of a sustainable taxonomy seeks to address Brazil’s main environmental and social
On 12 September 2023, Brazil´s Attorney General Office, representing the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency, filed a climate litigation lawsuit against a livestock farmer, seeking compensation for the deforestation of the Amazon Forest between 2003 and 2016.
This blog post provides a brief overview on this new lawsuit, which further strengthens a new trend for climate litigation in Brazil.Continue Reading New lawsuit filed by Brazil’s Federal Government further strengthens climate litigation trends against private entities in Brazil
On 24 August 2023, through Decree No. 11,666/2023, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was enacted in Brazil (the “Amendment“). It was at MOP 28 (Meeting of the Parties) of the Montreal Protocol, in 2016, in the city of Kigali, Rwanda, that the Parties agreed to include HFCs among the substances controlled by the international regime. Hydrofluorocarbons (“HFCs“) have been used as alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons, mainly in the refrigerant market.Continue Reading Federal government of Brazil enacts Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol, extending restrictions to HFCs