Pará launches Environmental Protection Quota to fund state conservation areas

On 22 April 2025, the Brazilian state of Pará enacted Decree No. 4,613/2025, regulating Article 18 of State Law No. 6,745/2005 and formally establishing the Environmental Protection Quota (CPA) — a new legal mechanism designed to finance state-managed conservation units.

The CPA represents a 1-hectare share of a fully protected conservation unit within Pará. According to the decree, the instrument “aims to ensure the creation, implementation, maintenance, restoration and management of conservation units that make up the State System of Nature Conservation Units (SEUC),” funded by the financial resources raised through its purchase.

Individuals or companies may acquire CPAs, either to support conservation efforts or — in one of its modalities — to comply with certain environmental obligations. The programme will be administered entirely by the state’s Institute for Forestry and Biodiversity Development (IDEFLOR-Bio), responsible for all procedural steps.

Two modalities are provided:

• Compensatory: for offsetting environmental liabilities (such as regularising legal reserve deficits) through the acquisition of CPAs.

  
  

• Non-compulsory (voluntary): purchased without any legal requirement, solely to support conservation.

The decree requires that each CPA be tied to a formal contract, typically valid for a fixed term (e.g., 15 years, renewable). Holders remain in “environmental compliance” as long as contractual payments are up to date.

Importantly, the CPA does not replace or overlap with the Environmental Reserve Quota (CRA) established under Brazil’s Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012).

Origins and legal framework

The legal foundation lies in State Law 6,745/2005, which authorised the CPA as a tradable title linked to state conservation units. However, the mechanism remained dormant for two decades due to the absence of regulatory rules. Decree No. 4,613/2025 finally operationalises the instrument, detailing modalities, timelines, management entities and acquisition procedures. According to state officials, the government of Pará views the CPA as “a new front for sustainable financing,” enabling conservation units to attract resources from individuals and companies.

In essence, the CPA is a market-regulated tool for environmental conservation, embedded within Pará’s broader framework for biodiversity protection, restoration of native vegetation and management of conservation areas.

Impacts on environmental services

The CPA’s implementation is expected to generate practical effects on environmental policy and on the ecosystem services market:

• Funding for conservation areas:The mechanism creates a new channel for private and third-party financial contributions to establish, maintain and restore state conservation units, reducing pressure on the public budget.

  
  

• Environmental compliance for landowners:In its compensatory modality, the CPA provides a pathway for producers or companies with environmental liabilities — such as illegal vegetation clearing — to regularise their status through quota acquisition, rather than relying solely on internal mitigation measures.

  
  

• New business opportunities:Environmental service companies — including those working in forest restoration, monitoring, conservation-area management and licensing consultancy — may see demand rise as more CPAs are issued and tied to management and monitoring obligations.

  
  

• Market integration, conservation and corporate ESG:The voluntary acquisition route allows companies to demonstrate structured environmental responsibility backed by legal recognition.

  
  

• Greater rigour and transparency:The decree requires IDEFLOR-Bio to develop an integrated digital system for tracking CPA operations, ensuring transparency and full traceability across state environmental databases.

For companies like Green Forest, which provides environmental project development and services, the CPA opens opportunities both in acquisition support and in implementing associated obligations — vegetation restoration, biodiversity monitoring, technical reporting, compliance checks and management-plan execution.

How Green Forest can help

Advisory for CPA acquisition

• Guidance on the most suitable modality (compensatory or voluntary);

• Assessment of environmental liabilities to determine required quota volume;

• Support in navigating IDEFLOR-Bio procedures, contract requirements and compliance.

Implementation and management services

• Forest restoration, conservation-unit management, biodiversity and ecosystem-service monitoring;

• Technical support for performance reporting, contractual compliance and traceability.

Environmental regularisation and compliance

• Identification of environmental liabilities, technical planning for quota acquisition, alignment with the Forest Code and other regulations;

• Impact studies, mapping, ecosystem-service evaluation and internal audit support.

Voluntary conservation solutions

• Tailored projects for companies pursuing ESG commitments or biodiversity goals;

• Full service packages, from selecting appropriate conservation units to post-acquisition monitoring.

  
  

Through this integrated approach, Green Forest helps clients translate the CPA mechanism into opportunities for environmental compliance, sustainability and business value.

Conclusion

Decree No. 4,613/2025 introduces an innovative conservation-finance mechanism in Pará — the Environmental Protection Quota — opening new possibilities to align nature conservation, environmental compliance and corporate sustainability. The instrument strengthens conservation-unit financing and creates new demand for specialised environmental services.

For companies undergoing licensing processes, handling environmental debts, advancing ESG strategies or simply seeking to support conservation, now is the time to act. Green Forest is ready to assist at every stage — from initial assessment to quota acquisition, project implementation and ongoing monitoring.

References

• Decreto nº 4.613, de 22 de abril de 2025 — regulamento da Cota de Proteção Ambiental no Estado do Pará. (Sema Pará)

• Lei Estadual nº 6.745, de 6 de maio de 2005 — criação da Cota de Proteção Ambiental. (CPISP)

• Reportagem: “Pará regulamenta Cota de Proteção Ambiental e fortalece gestão de Unidades de Conservação”. Agência Pará. (Agência Pará)

• Artigo: “Cota de Proteção Ambiental no Pará: como investir na conservação”. Roberto Dias Duarte. (RDD10+)