ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how biodiversity governance mechanisms differ considerably among Brazilian states, despite their common federal legislative framework. It outlines main national policies for development and biodiversity conservation in Brazil, and the contradictions between them. The chapter then discusses how policies allowed revenue sharing can be a major stimulus for biodiversity conservation efforts. It suggests ways to improve revenue-sharing mechanisms based on evidence from the Brazilian Amazon. Brazil's importance for global biodiversity conservation and regional ecosystem services inevitably leads to certain assumptions about biodiversity protection within the country. One of the key policy instruments related to biodiversity conservation in Brazil has been the Forest Code. Legal requirements governing land use in Brazil date from the 1930s, and were later compiled in the 1965 Forest Code. One approach to fortify local resources for green governance is the use of Ecological Fiscal Transfers. Biodiversity conservation targets set at a global and national level are thereby reflected in subnational actions, contributing to green governance.
