A recent report indicates that merely 5% of deforesters in Brazil’s Amazon have paid court-ordered fines, despite substantial convictions and damage assessments. The findings also reveal significant inconsistencies in judicial penalties and highlight the need for improved enforcement measures to hold offenders accountable for environmental damages.
A report has revealed that only 5% of individuals implicated in illegal deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon have paid their court-ordered fines. This alarming statistic stems from an analysis of over 3,500 lawsuits by Imazon, an environmental research nonprofit, covering incidents from 2017 to 2020. During this period, approximately 265,000 hectares of rainforest were destroyed, amounting to an area three times larger than New York City.
The report highlights that despite 640 convictions resulting in fines totaling 252 million reais ($43.4 million), only a meager 652,300 reais ($112,000) has been collected. As of December 2023, this represents merely 0.2% of the total owed, which prosecutors estimated at 4.6 billion reais ($792 million). Many cases either went unresolved due to unidentifiable defendants or were compromised by the exclusion of satellite imagery evidence in lower courts.
Furthermore, significant inconsistencies in judicial compensation decisions have been discovered, with some judges considerably reducing fines—up to 90%—or dismissing them entirely. Critics argue that some judges view fines as a potential “double punishment” for offenders already tasked with restoring the deforested land.
To combat these challenges, the National Justice Council of Brazil has proposed a new protocol aimed at harmonizing the calculation of environmental fines, including those related to greenhouse gas emissions. Implementation of these guidelines could enhance both the consistency of rulings and the efficacy of law enforcement in addressing deforestation-related damages.
The report underscores the significant shortfall in enforcement of fines against deforesters in Brazil’s Amazon, with only a small fraction of assessed penalties being collected. The findings call attention to the need for improved judicial consistency and more effective mechanisms to ensure that offenders are held accountable for their environmental violations. The newly proposed guidelines by the National Justice Council hold potential for enhancing these enforcement efforts.
Original Source: news.mongabay.com
