A new cross-sector coalition in Brazil is seeking to strengthen the country’s REDD+ market and channel more investment into forest conservation, bringing together subnational governments, companies, project developers and civil society organizations.
The Coalition for REDD+ was announced by Aliança Brasil NBS, the GCF Task Force and the Brazilian Association of State Environmental Entities (ABEMA) during the fourth Brazilian Climate and Carbon Conference, held at the end of August in Sao Paulo.
The initiative will serve as a permanent forum for coordinating a common REDD+ agenda, improving dialogue with the federal government and addressing regulatory and institutional barriers that have limited Brazil’s access to global carbon market opportunities.
From Forest Protection To Economic Development
The groups behind the initiative view forest conservation not only as a climate and environmental priority but also as a potential source of economic development.
REDD+ investment could bring private capital to regions that have historically attracted little investment, while supporting jobs, incomes, territorial governance and alternative economic activities tied to conservation.
The issue is particularly significant in the so-called Legal Amazon—the largest socio-geographic division in Brazil, covering all nine states in the Amazon basin—home to about 30 million people, where efforts to curb deforestation need to be paired with economic opportunities that improve living standards.
The coalition’s agenda is expected to include coordination between voluntary and regulated carbon markets, safeguards against double counting, approaches linking jurisdictional programs with private projects, and stronger social and environmental protections.
Its formation comes as Brazil advances its emissions trading system (ETS) and implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, creating new opportunities while increasing the need for regulatory certainty for investors.
The coalition is initially being supported operationally by Aliança Brasil NBS and the GCF Task Force. Membership will be open to additional participants, as its first priorities and work program are still being developed.
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