Brazil is facing growing scrutiny as its Congress weighs proposals that could weaken environmental protections and jeopardize the safety of human rights defenders. As global leaders gather in Belém for COP30 to accelerate climate action, lawmakers in Brasília are considering measures that would dismantle key environmental licensing requirements and suspend a long-awaited national plan to protect defenders. Human Rights Watch warns that these reversals contradict the spirit of the climate summit and threaten essential rights already under pressure from climate change and environmental degradation.
Central to the debate is the General Environmental Licensing Law, previously approved by Congress and partially vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Legislators may override those vetoes, potentially reinstating provisions that would allow small and medium projects to bypass environmental impact assessments. Critics argue such loopholes could permit hazardous developments similar to the Brumadinho dam, whose 2019 collapse resulted in massive loss of life and environmental damage. Additional provisions under consideration could further undermine the rights of Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian communities whose territories remain unrecognized.
At the same time, Congress is reviewing proposals to halt the National Plan to Protect Human Rights Defenders. This plan, finalized after years of legal battles and international pressure, aims to coordinate government efforts to safeguard individuals and communities facing threats. Its suspension would violate domestic and international court orders, according to federal prosecutor Enrico Rodrigues de Freitas, who helped lead the plan’s development. With more than 1,400 people currently enrolled in federal protection programs and rising violence linked to land and resource conflicts, the need for stronger protections is urgent.
The recent killing of an Indigenous man and injury of four others during an attack in a territory awaiting demarcation underscores the growing risks defenders face. Human rights groups stress that instead of weakening the plan, Congress should transform it into law to ensure long-term protection. Meanwhile, civil society has urged lawmakers to advance environmental rights by ratifying the Escazú Agreement, a regional treaty that strengthens environmental governance, access to information, and defender protections. Already approved by the Chamber of Deputies, the agreement now awaits consideration in the Senate.
Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the decisions before Congress will significantly influence Brazil’s environmental future and global credibility. Approving Escazú and upholding protections for defenders would signal Brazil’s commitment to safeguarding its people and ecosystems, while reversing harmful proposals would reinforce the country’s leadership in the global climate effort.
