Changes in Environmental Crimes Law benefit deforestation

In another move to dismantle Ibama political role on licensing, inspecting and fining environmental crimes and violations, president Bolsonaro issued a decree to alter the 2008’s Environmental Crimes Law, establishing ‘conciliation courts’ to review fines and penalties and changing the basis of the program that allowed fines to be compensated via forest restoration measures. The decree also specified formal bidding among service providers instead of the hiring of NGOs to work on compensation and restoration measures for environmental crimes. The Minister of the Environment praised the president on Twitter for yet another ideological decree targeting the environmental governance in the country.