Senate approves carbon credit in forestry concessions – 05/02/2023 – Environment

The Federal Senate approved this Tuesday (2) a provisional measure edited in the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) that allows the commercialization of carbon credits in public forests and granted conservation units. Now the text goes to the presidential sanction.

The proposal was criticized by entities linked to the environment when it was approved by the Chamber. More than 50 entities, including non-governmental organizations and popular movements, were against it.

“[A lei] will allow the company that obtains the concession, for example for 40 years for the exploration of 40 thousand hectares in forest management, to also obtain the possibility of measuring and commercializing carbon credits over that area”, says the group, in a note.

According to the argument, the release for commercialization of carbon credits from conservation units and public forests means that those who pollute can offset their carbon emissions, buying credit, at the expense of these preserved areas in Brazil.

“Basically, we are talking about the use of public forests and conservation units in the list of licenses to pollute, corroborating the delay in the urgent and necessary cut in greenhouse gas emissions to face the climate crisis”, completes the note.

According to Instituto Escolhas, on the other hand, the measure can make forest concessions attractive and, in this way, encourage environmental protection.

“The valuation of forest concessions will be a fundamental incentive for the conservation of the Amazon”, celebrates Jaqueline Ferreira, portfolio manager of Instituto Escolhas.

In 2020, Escolhas helped to subsidize the preparation of a bill similar to the measure and which was presented in the Chamber by then deputy Rodrigo Agostinho, currently president of Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources).

Another provisional measure that changes environmental legislation was not appreciated this Tuesday, due to lack of a report and consensus.

Also edited by the Bolsonaro government, it amended the Forestry Code to extend the deadline for farmers who illegally deforested forests to start reforesting them.

In addition, an amendment to the Atlantic Forest Law was included in the text, which was not even the initial subject of the provisional measure, and which loosens the protection legislation for this biome.

This stretch was the most criticized by environmentalists. The government is working to try, in the Senate, to overturn this part of the text.

_{The Planeta em Transe project is supported by the Open Society Foundations.}