Licensing draft bill: organizations warn the Itamaraty of diplomatic setbacks
Softer environmental licensing may compromise international agreements and weaken Brazil’s stance in COP30
Foto: Ascom/Semas
This Monday (15th), the Climate Observatory sent a letter to Mauro Vieira, Brazilian minister of Foreign Relations, warning of the severe diplomatic and commercial setbacks that may result from passing Draft Bill 2159/2021, which softens environmental licensing rules in Brazil.
The document, signed by dozens of civil society organizations, asks for immediate intervention of the Itamaraty (Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Relations) with the Chamber of Deputies to adjourn the vote that is expected for the next couple of days and open space for a broader debate.
According to the letter, the draft bill significantly weakens the environmental impact assessment instruments that are now in effect, thus breaching international commitments of which Brazil is a signatory — such as the Paris Accords and ILO Convention 169.
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By suppressing the requirement for prior consultation with indigenous peoples and traditional communities and facilitating the installment of developments with high environmental impact without prior studies, the legal text is in direct opposition with the right to free, prior and informed consent.
The document also alerts to the risk of severely harming Brazil’s image as a climate leadership, particularly at a moment in which the country is preparing to host COP30.
Finally, the Climate Observatory requests a steady position by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in defending Brazil’s multilateral commitments and the country’s international credibility. The document proposes that the ministry should urgently intercede with the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies to avoid having the proposal go to a vote without proper public and technical discussions.
