Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Study Warns Brazil’s New Congress May Hinder Environmental Protections
A climate group studied what Brazil’s newly elected lawmakers have said and done about the environment.
It found that many had shown little support for protecting nature.
The group said this could make it harder to pass laws that protect the environment.
It also warned that some proposals could reduce protected areas or make mining and development easier.
The Liberal Party’s newly elected senators were rated especially low on environmental commitment.
The group said the political situation could be harder for environmental advocates if Jair Bolsonaro became president.
Bolsonaro was due to face Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election.
The parties named in the report did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
A study by climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima found that nearly 70% of elected lawmakers showed little or no commitment to environmental issues.
The study classified 64 of 81 senators and 345 of 511 lower-house lawmakers as having low or very low environmental commitment.
All 28 senators elected from the Liberal Party were rated as having very low commitment to environmental issues.
The group said a Congress shifting further right could make environmental advocacy more difficult, particularly if Jair Bolsonaro won the presidential runoff.
The study warned that proposals to reduce protected areas, permit mining on Indigenous lands, and ease environmental licensing could gain momentum.
- Who
- Observatorio do Clima and Brazil’s newly elected and re-elected lawmakers.
- What
- A study warned that the new Congress could make environmental legislation harder to advance.
- When
- The report was published October 8, after elections held that month.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- The study found that many elected lawmakers had low or very low commitment to environmental issues, and said the Congress was shifting further to the right.
- Study author
- Observatorio do Clima, a climate advocacy group
- Senators rated low or very low
- 64 of 81
- Lower-house lawmakers rated low or very low
- 345 of 511
- Liberal Party senators elected
- 28; all were rated as having very low environmental commitment
- Potential policy changes cited
- Reducing protected areas, allowing mining on Indigenous lands, and easing environmental licensing requirements
- Presidential runoff candidates
- Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva