Environmental Economic Program under the Brazilian Forest Code: The Need for Ecological Equivalence

The socioeconomic choices made by society have demanded the continuous exploitation of natural resources, thus establishing a conflict between economic development processes and environmental protection. In response to this tension, studies have been developed to harmonize social interests aimed at both productive activities and optimal environmental management. It is within this context that the present work unfolds. The Environmental Economic Program, developed through legal and political arrangements during the legislative process leading up to the NCF’s enactment, is structured around five lines of action, supported by priced and market-based economic instruments. Accordingly, this work analyzes the Program proposed in the new law for the protection of native vegetation, its negative social impacts, and whether “ecological equivalence” should be implemented as a guiding principle for environmental compensation measures to mitigate those impacts. To this end, the book first presents a historical overview of the political and economic factors that initiated the relationship between economics and the environment, including the debate among different economic schools of thought proposing solutions to the environmental crisis and the incorporation of economic instruments into environmental public policies.

Leandro Barbalho Conde is a lawyer graduated from Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA) in Rio Grande do Sul, specialized in Business Law by Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), and holds a Master’s degree in Law from Universidade Estadual do Pará, focusing on Human Rights and Environment, with a sub-focus on Environmental Sustainability. He is the founding partner of Conde Advogados Associados law firm, a university professor, and an associate of the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC).