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Environmental governance is a concept in environmental policy that steers markets, technology and society towards achieving the goal of sustainability. It considers social, economic and environmental aspects in the decision making of its policies. Brazil is currently developing at an incredibly fast rate, only out-performed by countries such as China and India, both in terms of economic growth 〔UN (2010). World Economic Situation and Prospects 2010 () Available at: http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp2010files/pr_en2010.pdf (14 May 2011 )〕 and recovery rate after the global financial crisis in the late 2000s. The saying that “Brazil is the country of the future...and it always will be” has haunted Brazil for decades. But recent economic policy changes, made since the founding of the New Republic, have allowed Brazil to start gaining international confidence. This was epitomised when American President Barack Obama stated that “The people of Brazil should know that the future has arrived” during a visit to Rio de Janeiro in March 2011.. Brazil is also no longer referred to as a developing country, but as an emerging country, a newly industrialised country (NIC) and as a member of the BRIC economies. But with this fast economic growth rate comes huge responsibility in terms of sustainability. Brazil’s economic growth is supported by the huge demand of natural resources from China, resources that Brazil has in abundance. Brazil is currently successfully matching the needs of China’s manufacturing industry and with huge investments currently being made to sustain this demand from China, Brazil is building new ports and airports and increasing the capacity of its current ones. However, this vast extraction of natural resources is coming at a price for the natural environment. Former Environment Minister Marina Silva resigned in 2008 as she felt the Brazilian government was prioritizing the interests of big businesses and the economy, and felt she was fighting a losing battle to protect many of Brazil’s natural environments, including the Amazon Rainforest. Despite these claims, Brazil has been praised for its environmental sustainability efforts and attempts to reduce its carbon emissions.〔("Brazil wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.8 billion tons" ), Port of Entry, 2008.〕〔 ("Brazil aims to reduce CO2 emission by almost 40 per cent" ), ''Earth Times'', 15 November 2009.〕 The Brazilian government created the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) in 1985 and following this, organisations have been created, such as IBAMA in 1989, with the aim to protect the natural environment. Brazil has also taken a front seat with regards to global environmental governance by jointly creating and presiding the Megadiverse Like-Minded Countries Group, which includes 70% of the world’s living biodiversity and 45% of the world’s population. == National Environmental Policy == In 1981, the Brazilian government put into force the National Environmental Policy (NEP), through Law No. 6938.〔Brasil, Leis (1981). Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente, lei n. 6938 de 31 de agosto de 1981. Dispõe sobre a Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente, seus fins e mecanismos de formulação e aplicação. Legislação Federal, Controle da Poluição Ambiental. Série Documentos. São Paulo: CETESB〕 The main objective of this policy is to establish standards that make sustainable development possible, using mechanisms and instruments that are capable of ensuring greater protection for the environment. The NEP covers many environmental issues, including the definition of standards, licensing, environmental impact assessments, special areas for preservation, incentives for cleaner production, and environmental zoning. The guidelines of this policy are developed through standards and plans to guide public bodies of the Brazilian federation, in accordance with the ten principles stated in Article 2 of Law 6938. These principles are as follows:〔 *Government action in maintaining the ecological balance, considering the environment as a public asset to be necessarily guaranteed and protected, in view of collective use; * The rational use of soil, subsoil, water and air; * Planning and supervision of the use of environmental resources; * Protection of ecosystems, the preservation of representative areas; * Control and zoning of polluting or potentially polluting activities; * Incentives to study and research technologies for the rational use and protection of environmental resources; * Monitoring the state of environmental quality; * Restoration of degraded areas; * Protection of areas threatened with degradation; *Environmental education at all levels of education, including community education, intended to enable them to participate actively in environmental protection The twelve instruments of the National Environmental Policy used to promote environment protection are presented in Article 9 of the Law, and are as follows:〔〔 * Establishment of environmental quality standards; * Environmental zoning; * Environmental impact assessments; * Licensing and review of effective or potentially polluting activities; * Incentives for production and installation of equipment and the creation or uptake of technology designed to improve environmental quality; * The creation of special protected areas by the federal, state and municipal governments, such as environmental protection areas of significant ecological interest and extractive reserves; (Writing amended by Law No. 7804 of 18.07.89) * The national system of environmental information; * The Federal Technical Register of Activities and Instrument of Environmental Defense; * Disciplinary penalties for the failure to put in place measures necessary for prevention and correction of environmental degradation. * Establishment of the Report of Environmental Quality, to be published annually by IBAMA (Item added by Law No. 7.804 of 18.07.89) * To ensure the provision of information relating to the environment, and ensuring the Government produces them when they are absent; (Item added by Law No. 7.804 of 18.07.89) * The Federal Technical Registry of potentially polluting activities and/or ones that use environmental resources. (Item added by Law No. 7.804 of 18.07.89) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Environmental governance in Brazil」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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