Brazil’s Congress approved what critics describe as the “dismantling” of environmental legislation, just before the country hosts the COP30 climate summit.
The conservative majority used its power in the Senate to pass what supporters call an environmental “streamlining.” In practical terms, it nullifies much of the environmental legislation built over decades in Brazil.
This also represents a major defeat for President Lula da Silva’s government, which has made environmental defense a cornerstone of its domestic policy.
For environmentalists and scientists, this new law marks the most serious setback for environmental policy in Brazil since the dictatorship era. Environment Minister Marina Silva called the day “a day of mourning” for the country.
Brazil dismantles environmental legislation ahead of COP30
Brazil is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. The vast majority of the Amazon rainforest is located within its borders. For years, Brazil built ambitious environmental protection legislation, with the exception of the Jair Bolsonaro administration (2019-2023).
The Congressional vote began near midnight, with many members participating remotely, and concluded at 3:30 AM Brazilian time. After rejecting amendments from progressive parties and a failed attempt to suspend the vote, the conservative majority achieved its goal and passed the law.
One of the main backers of the bill is the agricultural sector, which holds significant influence in Congress and believes the measure will help “unblock” Brazil and “modernize” the country’s infrastructure.
Known by its critics as the “Devastation Bill,” it ultimately received 267 votes in favor versus 116 against, securing controversial approval at a critical moment: just three months before the global COP30 climate summit in the city of Belem. The vote is a major defeat for the Lula government, which has made environmental defense a pillar of its policy.
The new law’s impact on Brazil
The legislation, which proponents have tried to advance for 20 years, aims to relax environmental regulations, particularly regarding environmental impact assessments and permits required before starting projects.
For example, the new law allows the authorization of projects with high pollution potential or environmental harm if the government classifies them as “strategic.” It also creates, in some cases, a “self-certification” process where the business owner grants themselves the permit by filling out an online form, bypassing external evaluation bodies.
Furthermore, environmental permits will no longer be required to expand roads, conduct various agricultural and livestock activities, or build dams to supply small municipalities or cattle ranches.
Federal oversight bodies for high-risk mining projects, for instance, lose authority, while states and municipalities (seen as more vulnerable to local corruption) gain power.
The law even relaxes rules for cutting native vegetation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil’s most threatened rainforest, of which only a quarter of its original area remains.
Supporters of the law argue it provides “guarantees for entrepreneurs” by eliminating “bureaucracy and ideological and subjective issues,” as stated by Ze Victor, a member of the Liberal Party led by far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Criticism from Brazil’s government and progressive parties
Beyond the Environment Minister’s forceful statement characterizing the law’s approval, criticism from progressive parties shows the strong impact this legislation is causing in the country.
“Are we going to vote on this at the last gasp, with virtual voting and an empty chamber? What a disgrace!” exclaimed Congresswoman Duda Salabert of the Democratic Labor Party, referring to the pre-dawn remote voting conditions under which yesterday’s vote occurred.
“I will take legal action against the Devastation Bill! The text approved by Congress contains several unconstitutional provisions. This bill attacks not only environmental permits, not only traditional and Indigenous communities—it also attacks the Brazilian Constitution,” the progressive congresswoman wrote on her X social media account.
🚨 Entrarei com uma AÇÃO JUDICIAL contra o PL da DEVASTAÇÃO!
O texto aprovado no Congresso possui diversas INCONSTITUCIONALIDADES .
O projeto ataca não só o licenciamento ambiental, não só comunidades tradicionais e indígenas , ataca também a Constituição Brasileira.Temos…
— Duda Salabert (@DudaSalabert) July 17, 2025
Socialism and Liberty Party member Célia Xakriabá, the first Indigenous federal congresswoman from the state of Minas Gerais and who had a major clash with conservative lawmakers, warned that “money isn’t going to replace the forests” and called Parliament “sexist, racist, and colonial.”
The day before, Xakriabá warned on her social media channel X that “while Brazil sleeps, they want to vote today on the Devastation Law. Another attempt to sneak it through. We can’t allow it; the Devastation Law will be the biggest climate setback in the last 40 years.”
The law now awaits the president’s signature to take full effect. Lula could exercise his veto option, but Congress would still have the power to override that veto with an absolute majority—meaning with votes from at least 257 representatives and 41 senators. After that, the text would be enacted, though it could still be challenged in court.