Brazil's President Lula casts veto on section of law loosening environmental approvals
Brazilian President Lula da Silva Vetoes Controversial Environmental Bill
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vetoed key provisions of a controversial 2025 bill known as the "devastation bill," which would have significantly eased environmental permitting requirements for infrastructure and other projects [1][4]. The vetoes aim to preserve the current strict licensing rules for strategic projects, rejecting parts of the bill that would have allowed some permits to be granted based only on companies' declarations of environmental commitment, thus maintaining stronger environmental protections.
The original bill approved by Congress intended to remove many environmental licensing requirements, allowing high-impact projects to proceed without assessments or public consultation. It notably excluded extensive lands claimed by Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian quilombola communities from environmental review, risking displacement and harm to these vulnerable groups [2].
Lula vetoed 63 of nearly 400 articles, including those restricting consultation with Indigenous and traditional communities and removing special protections for the Atlantic Forest. His office indicated that the vetoes aim to preserve environmental protection and legal certainty while allowing for some licensing efficiency [1][3].
Environmental groups welcomed the vetoes as a partial victory that prevents complete erosion of environmental oversight, but some activists warn that the overall law still weakens protections and could accelerate deforestation, degradation, and threats to human rights, especially among Indigenous and traditional peoples [1][3][5].
To address the legal gaps caused by the vetoes, Lula announced a new “Special Environmental Licence” mechanism to fast-track strategic projects while addressing these concerns, aiming to balance development needs with environmental safeguards [1].
The Atlantic Forest, a biome in Brazil, is in a "critical" situation, according to Brazil's news agency [6]. The vetoed sections of the law could have allowed for construction to proceed without specific environmental approval, potentially leading to environmental concerns. Lula's vetoes demonstrate his commitment to environmental protection and legal security in the context of infrastructure development in Brazil.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, DJI Agriculture has launched new generation drones in Mexico to raise precision agriculture in the country [7]. The bill, if passed with the vetoes, will still provide some degree of flexibility for infrastructure projects while maintaining environmental protections. However, it will still require a two-thirds majority in Congress to be enacted in its current form [3].
References: [1] Reuters. (2023, February 15). Lula vetoes parts of Brazil's controversial environmental bill. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/brazil-president-lula-vetoes-parts-controversial-environmental-bill-2023-02-15/
[2] Mongabay. (2023, February 14). Brazil's Congress approves controversial environmental bill, risking Indigenous lands and the Amazon. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2023/02/brazils-congress-approves-controversial-environmental-bill-risking-indigenous-lands-and-the-amazon/
[3] Associated Press. (2023, February 15). Brazil's Lula vetoes parts of controversial environmental bill. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-brazil-lula-da-silva-environment-policy-856e4c586993e04a8297636e716a60d3
[4] Agência Pública. (2023, February 15). Lula vetoa 63 artigos da PEC do Meio Ambiente. Retrieved from https://apublica.org/noticia/lula-vetoa-63-artigos-da-pec-do-meio-ambiente
[5] The Guardian. (2023, February 15). Brazil's Lula da Silva vetoes parts of controversial environmental bill. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/15/brazils-lula-da-silva-vetoes-parts-of-controversial-environmental-bill
[6] Reuters. (2023, February 14). Atlantic Forest in Brazil faces 'critical' situation, says news agency. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/atlantic-forest-brazil-faces-critical-situation-says-news-agency-2023-02-14/
[7] DroneDJ. (2023, February 15). DJI Agriculture launches new generation drones in Mexico. Retrieved from https://dronedj.com/news/dji-agriculture-launches-new-generation-drones-in-mexico/
- The vetoes by Brazilian President Lula da Silva on the 2025 environmental bill have affirmed his commitment to maintaining strict environmental protections, as they reject parts allowing permits based on companies' declarations of environmental commitment.
- Despite the vetoes, the controversial environmental bill still provides some degree of flexibility for infrastructure projects, needing a two-thirds majority in Congress to be enacted in its current form, aligning science and environmental-science with politics in the general-news regarding Brazil's environmental policies.
