Government rolls out bold 35-year plan that could change how valuable land is used: 'A groundbreaking … model'
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Co. in December announced a regeneration plan to restore public lands through select companies and organizations, Folha de S.Paulo reported, calling it "a groundbreaking bidding model focused on reforestation and regeneration of native forests."
The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Brazilian Forest Service, and Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation are drafting the concessions.
The goal is to protect the most vulnerable areas in the "deforestation arc" that cuts through the states of Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia.
"The concessions will last 35 years and aim to transform environmental restoration into a business model, generating profit for those committed to restoring the forest," Folha stated.
The need to protect the Amazon is urgent. Last year, 91% of the deforestation there was illegal, Mongabay reported, arguing that enforcement of existing laws must be paired with financial penalties that make such clearing unviable.
While the outlet pointed out that public authorities of all levels were absent in the Amazon, the federal government has made the issue a priority.
The same week of this announcement, Lula enacted the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System, establishing a regulated carbon market and limiting the production of planet-warming pollution. Companies and states that reduce their carbon dioxide emissions will earn carbon credits that can be purchased by other entities.
In 2023, Lula revealed how he would eliminate deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. He has already made great strides, significantly reducing the problem from his first days in office.
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Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva, a native Amazonian, has also played a large role, asking for a "civilizational change" away from dirty fuels to help conserve the Amazon and other forests. Both are in their second stints in these positions.
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