The Brazilian government has approved what's been dubbed a "devastation bill" that will reportedly streamline environmental licenses and weaken regulations in the country.
What's happening?
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed 63 out of nearly 400 provisions in the "devastation bill," according to Climate Home News.
While environmental experts supported the decision to veto provisions that would have harmed communities and removed special protection for the Atlantic Forest, some of the approved provisions come with setbacks.
According to The Guardian, the law will allow projects with "medium" polluting potential to acquire environmental licenses online with little oversight. The Arayara International Institute found that at least 2,600 fossil fuel projects could be fast-tracked, per Climate Home News.
"It is a tragedy that in the same year that Brazil is hosting COP30, Congress decides to roll back environmental norms and the president does too little to veto," Lucas Kannoa, head of legal affairs at the Arayara International Institute, told the publication.
Why are environmental regulations in Brazil important?
The Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado are both threatened by habitat loss and the warming climate, according to scientists. In fact, the Atlantic Forest is Brazil's most endangered ecosystem, with less than 16% of its natural areas remaining, according to research published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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With thousands of dirty fuel projects potentially in the works, heat-trapping pollution could increase and negatively impact surrounding communities. A study published in the journal Cadernos de Saúde Pública found that air pollution accounted for more than 326,000 deaths in Brazil between 2019 and 2021.
Seasonal wildfires are the main source of air pollution in the country, and human activities are fueling the fires.
The burning of dirty fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas can increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. In 2024, a historic drought in the Amazon rainforest exacerbated wildfires with upwards of 38,000 fire outbreaks during the month of August.
What's being done about environmental regulations?
Protesters against the "devastation bill" have taken to the streets to raise awareness ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30.
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Definitely 🥰 The annual climate summit will be held in Belém, Brazil, in November. World leaders and scientists are expected to discuss actions to tackle the warming climate.
Like in Brazil, environmental advocates in the U.S. are pushing back against the removal of regulations.
In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to revoke a critical endangerment finding that declared six heat-trapping gases a risk to public health. However, there is a lengthy administrative process in order for those plans to take effect.
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