Environmental License for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Projects in Brazil

Abstract

This article presents the environmental licensing system in Brazil and its instrument, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and its discussion on CCS activities. Globally, extractive industry development projects are well known to have environmental impacts, and Brazil is no exception. Since the adoption of the main Brazilian environmental laws, there has been a general perception that environmental licensing system and EIAs protects its environment. Besides the legal requirement for those tools, this article describes the specific rules on oil and gas projects (onshore and offshore). This research contributes as a review of Brazil’s environmental legislation, including the specific oil and gas legislation, presented along with a comprehensive discussion of those tools. Finally, this paper essays a general contribution for an understanding environmental licensing for CCS activities. The research was done using the inductive method, based on the methodology of legal science and with bibliographic and normative research techniques, including institutional analysis.