Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday condemned Brazil’s Congress for advancing the General Environmental Licensing Bill and called on lawmakers to support negotiations at COP30 and ratify the Escazú Agreement . The bill contains controversial provisions that would simplify environmental licensing requirements through developer self-certification and revoke protections for human rights defenders.

Brazil’s Senate is scheduled to vote on November 27 on whether to override President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto of the bill’s key provisions in September. The bill, originally approved by the Senate in May 2025, would allow developers to self-certify compliance with environmental standards and automatically renew permits without a comprehensive review. UN human rights experts hav

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