ABSTRACT

Developers’ concerns over the costs and delays of environmental impact assessment (EIA) have increasingly been driving ‘simplification’ solutions and reforms. This letter critically reviews the evolution of EIA simplification in Brazil. More specifically, it (1) sets out to describe the main stages of EIA simplification in Brazil, and (2) calls for conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms. I argue that the first simplification efforts in Brazil mirrored an attempt to bring procedural proportionality to EIA. But simplification gradually became a more nuanced phenomenon reflecting a variety of streamlining, digitalization, and decentralization strategies. However, the many simplification efforts do not seem to be affecting developers’ predominant perception about EIA ineffectiveness. Brazil may be witnessing a more radical stage of EIA simplification, in which ‘simplicity’ is pursued through weak public participation and the exemption of specific economic sectors of the Brazilian economy from EIA. Without conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms, debates over EIA effectiveness are likely to be influenced by simplistic win-win narratives, and Brazil’s increasingly fragile environment is likely to get worse.

摘要

开发商对环境影响评估 (EIA) 的成本和延误的担忧越来越多地推动“简化”解决方案和改革。这封信批判性地回顾了巴西 EIA 简化的演变。更具体地说，它 (1) 着手描述巴西 EIA 简化的主要阶段，以及 (2) 呼吁进行概念清晰和基于证据的简化改革。我认为，巴西最初的简化努力反映了为 EIA 带来程序相称性的尝试。但简化逐渐成为一种更加微妙的现象，反映了各种精简、数字化和分散化策略。然而，许多简化工作似乎并未影响开发商对 EIA 无效性的主要看法。巴西可能正在见证 EIA 简化的一个更激进的阶段，在这个阶段，通过弱公众参与和巴西经济的特定经济部门免于 EIA 来追求“简单化”。如果没有概念清晰且基于证据的简化改革，关于 EIA 有效性的辩论可能会受到简单化的双赢叙述的影响，而巴西日益脆弱的环境可能会变得更糟。