Ministry of Environment creates the National Program for Payments for Environmental Services - Floresta+
Last Friday, July 3, the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) published Ordinance nº 288 creating the National Program for Payments for Environmental Services - "Floresta+", which seeks to foster: (i) the private market payments for environmental services in areas covered by native vegetation, and (ii) the articulation of public policies for the conservation of native vegetation and the fight against climate change.
The Program, still be subject to regulation, lays the foundations for the development of a voluntary market for environmental services that encompasses individuals and companies, under public and private law, and which can count on resources from public and private sources, national and international standards. The focus of Floresta+ is on the development and promotion of payment projects for environmental services, including: (i) the articulation of the Public Power with national and international agencies and entities, public or private; (ii) the promotion of sectoral agreements and international cooperation actions; and (iii) international fundraising.
The creation of Floresta+ complies with the provisions of article 41, I, of Federal Law nº 12.651/2012 (Code of Forest), which grants to the Administration the power to institute a program of "payment or incentive to environmental services such as remuneration, monetary or not, of conservation activities and improvement of ecosystems and that generate environmental services". According to the Code of Forest, environmental services are the set of activities for the improvement and conservation of native vegetation in all biomes.
According to MMA, this will be the "largest program in the world to boost remuneration for those who protect forests". Although there is a focus on maintaining the standing forest, particularly in the area known as Legal Amazon, from the monetization of environmental services, Floresta+ will have national coverage, encompassing activities that favor the generation, maintenance, recovery or improvement of environmental services in all Brazilian biomes (eg, water conservation activities, carbon sequestration, biodiversity land use).
Finally, it is worth mentioning that, in September 2019, the House of Representatives (Câmara dos Deputados) approved Bill nº 312/2015, which institutes the National Policy for Payments for Environmental Services (PNPSA), currently under analysis by the Senate.
The Environmental team is available in case of doubts.