Environmental agenda stalls in Congress

The leadership of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate declined to comment. Behind the scenes, however, lawmakers say the polarized political climate has made it difficult to advance a constructive legislative agenda.

According to Nilto Tatto (Workers’ Party, PT, São Paulo), coordinator of the Joint Parliamentary Front for the Environment, there is a disconnect between the urgency of the climate crisis and Congress’s actions.

“While the government works to show results in reducing deforestation and seeks international financial support, Congress moves in the opposite direction, prioritizing regulatory rollbacks such as relaxed licensing and land regularization,” Mr. Tatto said.

For Suely Araújo, policy coordinator at the Observatório do Clima, the vote on the licensing vetoes—scheduled for Thursday (16)—is particularly worrisome.

“The farm caucus is expected to fight for the vetoes’ overturn. Another red flag is the Foreign Affairs Committee’s rejection of the Escazú Agreement,” she noted. Signed in New York in 2018, the Escazú Agreement is the first environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean to guarantee access to information, justice, and protection for environmental defenders. Although Brazil signed it, congressional ratification is still pending.

The bill’s rapporteur, Congressman Evair Vieira de Melo (Progressives Party, PP, Espírito Santo), recommended rejecting the treaty, citing “practical implications and potential risks to national sovereignty and Brazil’s economic interests.”

“It’s extremely rare for Congress to reject an international agreement,” Mr. Araújo explained. “It reflects pressure from the ruralist bloc, criticism of environmental regulation, and fears about transparency—for instance, concerns that rural property data could become publicly available.”

Environmentalists are prioritizing the preservation of the presidential vetoes this week, though the likelihood of their being overturned is high. “If Congress overturns them, the only recourse will be to challenge the law before the Supreme Court through a direct action of unconstitutionality,” said Mr. Araújo.

Mr. Tatto attributes the lack of progress to the influence of the ruralist bloc—aligned with conservatives and the political center—and to polarization ahead of the municipal elections. “Today’s Congress is out of sync with the climate crisis,” he argued.

He noted that 2024 saw some positive developments, including the regulation of carbon markets, biofuels, and energy transition, often with support from agribusiness lawmakers.

“This year, however, there’s no long-term perspective—only short-term political interests. That endangers not just sustainability but also agriculture itself, which will suffer from climate impacts,” Mr. Tatto warned.

The environmental caucus believes that the anti-environmental agenda harms Brazil’s international image. “Congress undermines Brazil’s climate diplomacy. International observers interpret our votes as the country’s position, regardless of the government’s efforts in multilateral negotiations. It leaves us in a contradictory position as COP host,” Mr. Tatto said.

In March, Environment Minister Marina Silva met with 30 lawmakers to align a legislative strategy for COP30, but little progress has been made. According to ministry sources, efforts have focused on defending the environmental licensing framework from setbacks, leaving “little room” for advancing new positive initiatives.

Mr. Tatto said he plans to ask Chamber President Hugo Motta (Republicans of Paraíba) to bring at least a few pro-environment bills to the floor before the summit.

The 2025 Legislative Agenda, published by the Observatório do Clima and backed by 22 environmental organizations, identifies a “destruction package” of bills that could severely harm ecosystems, traditional peoples’ rights, and Brazil’s climate targets. These include measures that weaken licensing and land laws, alter the Forest Code and the Atlantic Forest Law, and even allow privatization of coastal zones.

On the positive side, environmentalists hope to advance proposals such as the Law of the Sea (creating a national marine conservation policy), the Circular Economy Bill (setting plastic reduction and recycling targets while compensating waste pickers), and the National Policy for Biodiversity Economy (PNDEB).

Other key proposals include a constitutional amendment recognizing climate security as a fundamental right, tougher penalties for environmental crimes, and the Agenda 2030 Bill, which aligns national policy with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).