South America

Indigenous groups in Brazil: We were not consulted on carbon credits

Monday - Indigenous organizations in the Brazilian state of Para said they were not consulted by the government before it signed a deal with multinational companies to sell carbon offset credits to support conservation of the Amazon rainforest in the state.

Drought has dried a major Amazon River tributary to its lowest level in over 122 years

Thursday - One of the Amazon River’s main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country.

Amazon state that will host COP30 strikes largest carbon credit sale in history

Wednesday - A coalition of developed countries and corporations has agreed to a massive purchase of carbon credits from the Amazon rainforest worth $180 million.

Drought is making Sao Paulo’s river emerald green while smoke turns its skies grey

19 Sep 24 - A major river in the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo is suddenly emerald green and clear skies this week turned from blue to grey.

Nearly 40% of Amazon rainforest most vital to climate left unprotected, data shows

17 Sep 24 - Scientists agree that preserving the Amazon rainforest is vital to combating global warming, but new data indicates huge swathes of the jungle that are most vital to the world's climate remain unprotected.

Brazil’s Carvalho to lead seabed-mining authority following predecessor’s controversial term

7 Aug 24 - Brazilian oceanographer Leticia Carvalho has been named the next secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) after winning an election that could change the course of the deep-sea mining industry.

Brazil minister warns carbon credit buyers to beware fraud

6 Aug 24 - Environment minister Marina Silva says alleged criminal schemes in Amazon could harm the reputation of credits.

Large birds can boost forest carbon storage — if deforestation doesn’t interfere

18 Jun 24 - A new study shows large fruit-eating birds in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest can contribute to a 38% increase in carbon storage by regenerating tropical forest.

New bill to expand farmlands in the Amazon may derail Brazil’s green efforts

11 Jun 24 - A bill that would reduce the amount of primary forest that landowners in the Brazilian Amazon must preserve may lead to the deforestation of an area twice the size of Rio de Janeiro state.

More than third of Amazon rainforest struggling to recover from drought, study finds

22 May 24 - More than a third of the Amazon rainforest is struggling to recover from drought, according to a new study that warns of a “critical slowing down” of this globally important ecosystem.

Despite drought, Amazon deforestation alerts hit five-year low

13 May 24 - The Brazilian Amazon experienced a 47% decrease in deforestation in April compared to last year, marking the lowest level in five years, and a 51% decrease over the past 12 months.

Forest carbon accounting lets Guyana remain net zero with oil pumping

9 Apr 24 - Experts said UN rules around forest and oil are open to abuse, so that countries like Guyana can claim net zero without cutting emissions.

Reforestation and restoration: Two ways to make the Pan Amazon greener

19 Mar 24 - One of the benefits of agroforestry and plantation forestry is the ability of tree crops to capture and store carbon in their above-ground biomass.

How a Colombian city cooled dramatically in just three years

8 Mar 24 - With “green corridors” that mimic the natural forest, the Colombian city is driving down temperatures — and could become five degrees cooler over the next few decades.

Colombian community displaced by coastal erosion takes case to human rights commission

4 Mar 24 - A Colombian community under threat from coastal erosion will have their case heard by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Locals at the mouth of the Amazon River get a salty taste of climate change

28 Feb 24 - Ocean rise and changes in the Amazon River are ruining the way of life in an archipelago close to where the Amazon River runs into the Atlantic.

Critics decry controversial bill that loosens deforestation restrictions in Peru

12 Feb 24 - Peru’s Congress approved a new amendment to the country’s forest and wildlife law, which loosens restrictions on deforestation and may affect the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Meet the young Peruvians fighting in court for climate action

5 Feb 24 - Seven youth plaintiffs, ages ranging from 14 to 16, argue that the state is violating their right to a healthy environment by failing to curb Amazon deforestation and mitigate climate change.

Suriname preparing to clear Amazon for agriculture, documents suggest

19 Dec 23 - The government is weighing a series of land deals that would allow the Ministry of Agriculture and a group of private entities to carry out agriculture, livestock and aquaculture activities in the...