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THE CONTEXT
The situation we face today demands urgent action. The year 2024 recorded the highest temperatures in history, while humanity may have already crossed seven of the nine planetary boundaries, including carbon concentration in the atmosphere and biodiversity loss. Science is clear: the climate crisis we face today is caused by human actions, especially the emission of greenhouse gases. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent, highlighting the need for immediate and robust responses.
In this context, nature stands out as our greatest ally. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) — including landscape restoration — account for at least 30% of the action needed to tackle the climate crisis. As an accessible and scalable “technology,” nature can remove large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while simultaneously delivering multiple essential benefits for people, such as water and food security, economic opportunities, cultural values, and well-being.
Worldwide, it is estimated that one billion hectares of degraded or deforested land could be restored without compromising local communities’ food production. In Brazil, the conditions for restoration are especially strong: the country has already set ambitious national targets, such as restoring 12 million hectares by 2030, and assumed relevant international commitments, including the Paris Agreement.
To turn these commitments and benefits into tangible results, Conservation International (CI-Brazil) leads a broad movement to accelerate and scale up landscape restoration, working in partnership with local communities, governments, and the private sector.
WHAT IS LANDSCAPE RETORATION
Ecological restoration seeks to recover the native vegetation of degraded or deforested areas, helping to reestablish nature’s balance. It can be implemented through different techniques, such as seedling planting or the removal of invasive species – while also giving space for nature itself to resume its regeneration process.
When we look beyond a specific site and consider the landscape scale, restoration takes on new dimensions, especially the social one. In rural areas, often marked by inequality and lack of support, restoration can become a path toward social inclusion, income generation, and local development.
Thus, landscape restoration can be understood as a process that combines the recovery of nature with the improvement of human well-being, bringing environmental, social, and economic benefits.
WHY RESTORE?
CLIMATE BENEFITS
Carbon Sequestration
Through photosynthesis, plants capture CO₂ and store it as biomass. In this way, restoring converted ecosystems is one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to sequester significant amounts of carbon.
Temperature Control
Landscape restoration is crucial for global climate stability and to prevent the Amazon from reaching its tipping point — a critical scenario in which the forest could turn into a type of savanna, undermining its ability to regulate the climate.
PEOPLE BENEFITS
Return on Investment
Every dollar invested in ecosystem restoration can generate up to US$110 in economic benefits, demonstrating a substantial potential return.
Creating Opportunities
Successful restoration projects could generate up to 2.5 million direct jobs in Brazil by 2030, boosting the economy and strengthening rural areas.
Climate Resilience
Restoration helps communities adapt to extreme and uncertain climate events, promoting benefits that range from strengthening agriculture to protecting coastal populations against flooding.
BIODIVERSITY BENEFITS
Species Resilience
The restoration of natural habitats creates favorable conditions for the survival and reproduction of a wide variety of species.
Marine Ecosystem Conservation
By reducing nutrient runoff into coastal areas, landscape restoration helps conserve coral reefs and seagrass beds. Mangrove restoration is also vital for biodiversity conservation and has a high capacity to store carbon.
SCALING UP RESTORATION IN BRAZIL
Since 2017, we have been advancing our mission to expand the benefits of large-scale restoration in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Cerrado.
+ 58K
hectares under restoration
+ 146M
native seedlings planted
native seedlings planted
+ 145K
jobs created in local communities
+ 762K
tons of CO₂ to be removed from the atmosphere over 30 years
Our goal: 500k hectares under restoration in Brazil by 2030.
HOW WE WORK
To achieve these results, our specialized team works in collaboration with local communities, governments, companies, nonprofit organizations, restoration collectives, and international institutions. CI-Brazil structures its strategy around three main approaches that aim to maximize the impact and scalability of projects while strengthening the restoration sector.
© CONSERVAÇÃO INTERNACIONAL / FLAVIO FORNER
PILOT
Together with local partners, we coordinate projects in strategic areas that generate benefits for communities, contribute to climate mitigation, and promote biodiversity conservation. These projects serve as demonstration experiences that test, combine, and improve different restoration techniques, bringing together innovative practices with the knowledge and dialogue established with communities, Indigenous Peoples, rural landowners, and other actors in the restoration value chain.
One example is the Priceless Planet Coalition (PPC), a global restoration initiative by Mastercard, which in Brazil relies on CI-Brazil to restore 6,000 hectares in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest.
© CONSERVAÇÃO INTERNACIONAL / FLAVIO FORNER
MARKET
We work with the private sector to strengthen the connection between restoration and markets, ensuring the economic viability of this agenda. Our initiatives are linked to business models and restoration value chains, as well as their assets - such as capital and land - to finance and scale up restoration.
For instance, CI-Brazil serves as Impact Advisor to BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG), which aims to raise US$1 billion to restore 275,000 hectares of degraded lands in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile. CI-Brazil ensures that land acquisitions follow strict environmental and legal criteria while supporting low-impact farming practices and reduced carbon emissions.
© CONSERVAÇÃO INTERNACIONAL / FLAVIO FORNER
POLICY
We work in collaboration with governments and institutions to strengthen governance and create a regulatory environment that supports large-scale restoration. This approach encompasses the most wide-reaching activities, involving large territories, rules and regulations, stakeholders, and decision-making processes at subnational or national levels.
The Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Project (ASL), for example, aims to restore 28,000 hectares of the Amazon through assisted natural regeneration and active restoration. The initiative adopts an integrated approach that strengthens local governments, stimulates a sustainable forest-based economy, and expands regional cooperation among key partners in protecting biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people.
WHERE WE WORK?
Territories with CI-Brazil’s landscape restoration projects in 2025. Credit: Conservation International / Andre Justen.
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EXPLORE OUR INITIATIVES
PRICELESS PLANET COALITION
The Priceless Planet Coalition (PPC) is a global initiative founded by Mastercard that seeks to restore 100 million trees around the world in places with the greatest potential for positive impacts on climate, communities, and biodiversity. The coalition is led by Conservation International and the World Resources Institute (WRI), which apply science-based practices for the selection, implementation, and long-term monitoring of restoration efforts. In Brazil, the coalition supports restoration actions coordinated by CI-Brazil, aiming to recover 6,000 hectares of degraded areas in the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon, including Protected Areas (Federal, State, or Municipal Conservation Units), Permanent Preservation Areas, Legal Reserves on rural properties, and Indigenous Lands. In partnership with local organizations, we test and improve restoration techniques that combine ecological efficiency, economic viability, and community participation. The initiative brings direct benefits such as increased biodiversity and job creation, as well as improved connectivity in places like protected areas in Rondônia and Bahia and the protection of springs. Learn more
THE REFORESTATION STRATEGY
BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (TIG) is a division of BTG Pactual dedicated to forest asset management and is one of the largest and longest-standing global manager in this sector. The initiative seeks to mobilize US$ 1 billion to restore 275,000 hectares of degraded land in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile. Its model is pioneering: the group acquires rural properties and allocates half of the areas to the restoration and conservation of native species, while the other half is dedicated to low-impact forestry to produce sustainable timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). CI-Brazil serves as the impact advisor for the strategy, ensuring that land acquisitions are grounded in robust science and comply with strict legal and environmental criteria, in addition to supporting low-impact agricultural practices and reduced carbon emissions. The project combines ecological restoration, carbon credit generation, and certified timber production as a financing model for action. In 2024, TIG signed agreements with Microsoft and Meta for the purchase of up to US$ 11.9 million in carbon removal credits and has already mobilized more than US$ 500 million in financial commitments, receiving the Environmental Finance Impact Investment of the Year Award. Learn more
AMAZON SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES
The Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Project (ASL) aims to expand the area under legal protection, improve the management of Protected Areas, and scale up restoration and sustainable land use in the Brazilian Amazon. One of its targets is the restoration of 28,000 hectares - 23,800 hectares through assisted natural regeneration and 4,200 hectares through active restoration. The initiative adopts an integrated approach that strengthens subnational governments, fosters a prosperous economy based on forest conservation, and enhances regional cooperation among key partners involved in protecting biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people. An example of this work is the support provided for the development of Pará’s State Plan for Native Vegetation Restoration (PRVN). Coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and implemented by CI-Brazil, FUNBIO, and FGV, the project is part of the Regional ASL Program, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the World Bank. Its operationalization involves the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB), and the state environmental agencies of Acre, Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia.
RESTAURA AMAZÔNIA
This initiative by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) is carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) and is funded by the Amazon Fund and supporting institutions. The program aims to restore 15,000 hectares of native vegetation in the states of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Pará, and Maranhão, in addition to strengthening the restoration value chain in these territories. CI-Brazil serves as a managing partner, responsible for coordinating the restoration of 5,000 hectares in Pará and Maranhão, with an expected removal of approximately 549,000 tons of CO₂ and income generation for up to 2,500 people. Activities are focused on Protected Areas, Land Reform Settlement, Indigenous Lands, Quilombola Territories, and rural properties of up to four fiscal modules located in municipalities within the “Restoration Arc” - a forest recovery corridor being built in the region most affected by deforestation in the Amazon. Photo: Conservation International / Flavio Forner
RESTAURA BIOMAS
Funded by GEF-8, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), and implemented by WRI-Brazil in partnership with Union4Restoration (a coalition composed of CI-Brazil, TNC Brazil, WRI Brazil, and WWF-Brazil), Restaura Biomas operates across all Brazilian biomes: Amazon, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampa. The project aims to restore 600,000 hectares of native vegetation and promote sustainable management in 1.2 million hectares by 2030, mitigating around 34 million tons of CO₂. In addition, the initiative seeks to benefit 150,000 people by strengthening restoration value chains and promoting solutions that integrate biodiversity, climate, and socio-economic development. To achieve these goals, Restaura Biomas plans to strengthen the governance of Brazil’s National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (Planaveg) and build public-private partnerships to unlock financial flows for restoration.
FOREST FOR WELL-BEING
Implemented by CI-Brazil and financed by BNDES with resources from the Amazon Fund, Forest for Well-Being seeks to restore degraded areas and strengthen the restoration value chain in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Pará, while ensuring transparent monitoring of activities and socio-environmental impacts. The project plans to restore more than 1,000 hectares and provide training for nursery managers and seed collectors, contributing to local socio-economic development, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation in Brazil. Restoration activities are directed toward degraded areas within Protected Areas, Indigenous Lands, Permanent Preservation Areas, and Legal Reserves of Land Reform Settlements and rural properties of up to four fiscal modules. Communication is also an essential pillar of the project, aimed at engaging society around restoration. For this, a range of products are being developed, including an online page with updated information, brochures, educational social media publications, and digital newsletters. In addition, an audiovisual series is in production to showcase the importance of Amazon restoration for Brazil’s social, environmental, and economic well-being.
STRUCTURING THE RESTORATION VALUE CHAIN IN PARÁ
In partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund, CI-Brazil is leading an initiative to strengthen the restoration value chain in Pará, thereby supporting the state in meeting its target of restoring 5.6 million hectares by 2030. Over the course of three years, the project will map supply and demand for seedlings and seeds, invest in nursery infrastructure and seed collector networks, and create regional hubs connected through a strategic network of Amazon nursery managers. This network will provide technical training and access to technologies to increase both the production and quality of seedlings and seeds. The initiative also includes the development of a digital platform to integrate key stakeholders in the sector and the promotion of multi-sectoral meetings to improve practices and broaden engagement with the agenda. Through these actions, the project expects to mobilize US$ 5 million in new private sector investments, train 160 nursery managers, seed collectors, and rural extension technicians - with indirect impact on 2,400 smallholder farmers - and increase the state’s annual production capacity by up to 4 million seedlings. Photo: Conservation International / Flavio Forner
PRODUCTIVE RESTORATION IN THE BELÉM ENDENISM CENTER (CEB)
The Belém Endemism Center (CEB) is one of the richest regions of the Amazon, but also one of the most threatened: about 70% of its forests have already been cleared to make way for cities and low-productivity agriculture and livestock. These economic activities have failed to bring human development to the region and have also placed at risk several species that are found nowhere else on the planet. To help reverse this situation, CI-Brazil develops projects in the region in partnership with Otsuka Corporation and Daikin, focusing on smallholder farmers in the municipality of Tomé-Açu (Pará). These initiatives aim to combine ecological restoration with social inclusion, recovering 20 hectares of degraded areas, generating income, and strengthening food security. As a result, more than 100 hectares of agroforestry systems (AFS) have already been established in the region, some of which have become true Demonstration Units characterized by species diversity, standing forest, and improved living conditions for local communities. Photo: Conservation International / Flavio Forner
CIERA – CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL’S ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ASSISTANT
One of the main challenges for landscape restoration in Brazil today is the difficulty of integrating environmental public policies into territories, due to the multiple sources and formats of data and information. For example, although environmental liabilities on private properties are already mapped under the new Forest Code, essential information to guide restoration - such as state-specific incentives and biome-level costs - remains scattered across legal documents. To optimize this process, CI staff from the United States and Brazil, in partnership with Microsoft, Esri, the University of Maryland, Utah State University, and threshold.world, are developing the CIERA platform - an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool that integrates available geospatial data with information extracted from public policies, government guidelines, and scientific articles. CIERA centralizes this information in a single environment and translates it into a common language, returning to users the priority areas for restoration tailored to the local context. This way, different actors have easier access to detailed and customized information about areas to be restored, accelerating decision-making and promoting strategic landscape restoration. Still under development, the platform has already attracted the interest of governments and private organizations. Photo: Conservation International / Flavio Forner
REMOTE RESTORATION MONITORING
CI-Brazil, in partnership with the Japanese startup sustainacraft inc. through a program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and IDB Lab (a member of the Inter-American Development Bank), is advancing remote restoration monitoring. The organizations have combined infrastructure, data, and teams to develop a solution that integrates satellite imagery with field data to estimate biomass, biodiversity, and carbon stocks in areas under restoration in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, and Cerrado. Preliminary results show that the methodology has the potential to detect short-term changes and calibrate predictive models, making large-scale restoration monitoring more efficient and accessible. In addition, the initiative seeks to identify effective regeneration strategies, such as assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting, and to measure their effectiveness in different contexts, allowing adaptation across diverse territories. As part of the project, the development of a digital platform is also planned to make the results available openly and transparently. Photo: Conservation International / Flavio Forner
AMAZÔNIA LIVE
Carried out by Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) between 2017 and 2021, the project aimed to plant 826,000 trees as part of the restoration process in the Xingu River region, in Mato Grosso. The initiative focused on ecological restoration and landscape connectivity through the recovery of springs and riparian forests, while also creating income opportunities by strengthening local seed networks. A major effort was made to mobilize and engage local farmers in addressing environmental liabilities in Private Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs), riverbanks, and stream margins. The project included technical visits, mapping, and environmental diagnostics of restoration areas. The technique applied was the direct seeding of native species, a practice known as “Muvuca.” For monitoring, two models were implemented: rapid monitoring and permanent plot monitoring.
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