Brazil Policy Center
The Brazil Policy Center combines rigorous economic, institutional, and legal analysis to identify areas for improving public policies and provides concrete recommendations on how to reconcile economic development with environmental conservation. CPI works closely with government agencies and civil society to chart paths for improvement. CPI’s Brazil Policy Center focuses on strategic areas, including Climate Law and Governance, Conservation, Energy, Financial Instruments, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Agriculture, and is based out the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). CPI’s Brazil office is led by Juliano J. Assunção, professor in the Department of Economics at PUC-Rio.
Featured work
Publication
Increasing Cattle Productivity in the Amazon Requires New Technologies
This brief summarizes the findings from CPI/PUC-Rio that calculates the potential for increasing pasture productivity in the Legal Amazon by disseminating technologies that are widely used in just some parts of the region to all parts of the region.
Publication
Strengthening Environmental Studies for Federal Land Infrastructure Concessions
In this brief, researchers from CPI/PUC-Rio identify and analyze the socio-environmental components covered by the terms of reference for Technical, Economic and Environmental Feasibility Studies and Environmental Assessment Study.
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6 Peculiarities of Rural Credit in the Amazon: New Research Shows Credit Restrictions and Extensive Land Use in Agriculture
CPI/PUC-Rio highlights six specific standards and conditions of rural credit, providing evidence for public actions and policies for local development, the sustainability of agricultural production, and environmental conservation.
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Latest work
Publication
Protected Territories, Though Critical, are Not Enough to Slow Amazon Deforestation: Brazil Requires Coordinated and Targeted Conservation Policies
New work from CPI/PUC-Rio shows that protected territories shielded forests under their domain, but they also appear to have deflected deforestation to unprotected regions. The findings highlight the local effectiveness of these territories, and thereby support their use in protecting high-value areas. Yet, results also reinforce the importance of pursuing protection strategies in combination with integrated conservation policy efforts to reduce deforestation throughout the Amazon.
Publication
Como Melhorar a Eficiência no Setor de Ar-Condicionado? O Papel da Zona Franca de Manaus
O presente trabalho analisa a linha de produção dos aparelhos de ar no Brasil, no que tange particularmente à eficiência produtiva (EP) e à eficiência energética (EE).
Publication
Questions and Answers on Provisional Measure 910
Researchers from the CPI/PUC-Rio prepared 10 questions and answers to clarify what is at stake with Provisional Measure 910.
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Targeting Deforestation, Boosting Regeneration: Efforts to Combat Forest Clearings in the Amazon Promote Tropical Regrowth
New work from CPI/PUC-Rio shows that environmental monitoring and law enforcement exclusively aimed at reducing Amazon deforestation helped boost tropical regeneration. Results suggest that environmental and socio-economic gains from conservation policies may be larger than initially presumed. Today, it would be both timely and strategic for Brazil to incorporate the promotion and protection of tropical regeneration into its conservation policy agenda.
Publication
Does the Manaus Free Trade Zone Have an Impact on Industry Efficiency?
This study, carried out by researchers from the CPI/PUC-Rio, analyzes the impact of the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM) on Brazilian industry, especifically productive efficiency and energy efficiency. The researchers note that the efficiency levels of the ZFM and Brazil are similar, that is, despite the high volume of tax breaks granted to the ZFM industries, there is no counterpart in terms of efficiency.
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O Impacto do Crédito Rural na Agricultura Brasileira e no Meio Ambiente
Esta publicação apresenta um resumo dos resultados de uma pesquisa realizada pelo CPI/PUC-Rio sobre o papel do crédito rural no Brasil. Os analistas do CPI determinaram, pelo projeto INPUT, que o crédito rural tem impacto significativo no aumento da produtividade agropecuária e na melhoria do uso da terra. Os analistas concluem que a falta de recursos financeiros frequentemente limita as possibilidades de produção dos produtores rurais no Brasil. Um melhor acesso a crédito permite que os produtores tomem novas decisões que levam a maior produtividade.
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Public Policies for the Protection of the Amazon Forest: What Works and How to Improve
This report consolidates the main findings of the academic literature that rigorously evaluates policies aimed at combating deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, it draws on empirical evidence to propose ways of strengthening Brazil’s policy agenda for protecting the Amazon Forest whilst promoting the region’s sustainable development. The report thereby aims to contribute to the design and implementation of an effective policy framework for Amazon conservation.
Publication
The Economics of Cattle Ranching in the Amazon: Land Grabbing or Pushing the Agricultural Frontier?
In this report, researchers from CPI/PUC-Rio dig deeper into the link between cattle ranching and deforestation in the Amazon to investigate the economic dynamics behind it.
