BVRio - Environmental Exchange of Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Environmental legislation in Brazil established a series of obligations to companies and individuals for recycling, forest reserve maintenance, emissions reduction, etc. To obtain greater efficiency from private companies and the government, BVRio launched BVTrade, a trading platform that allows these obligations to be fulfilled through credits.

Fast facts:

Over 3 million hectares of forest reserve registered;
Over 3,000 landowners participating;
Total stock or reduction of carbon derivative of BVRio's market mechanisms: 322 million ton CO2 eq;
More than 7,000 waste collectors are involved in BVTrade and they are represented by 150 cooperatives distributed throughout the country;
The sale of credits increased the income of these waste collectors by approximately 50%.

The problem
Environmental legislation in Brazil established a series of obligations to companies and individuals for recycling, forest reserve maintenance, emissions reduction, etc. Companies and individuals need a way to fulfill these obligations and still maintain efficiency at low cost.

The solution

BVTrade is a trading platform that allows these obligations to be fulfilled through credits. Companies or individuals, because of their expertise, can charge a lower price to perform certain activities or environmental services and therefore can receive credit for such activities or services. These credits can be sold to those who have a higher cost in the direct realization of environmental obligations. This creates a market of “Environmental Assets” with many benefits. The Environmental Reserve Credits and Protected Areas Credits are mechanisms created by the Brazilian Forest Act to ensure forest protection and the preservation of biodiversity and water resources, but also generate huge volumes of greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Helping the planet

BVRio’s BVTrade platform allows individuals and companies to buy various types of credits in order to speed up the process of implementing policies that generate benefits for the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change.

Helping people

This is an efficient and low cost solution for businesses, individuals and the government. It also inspires economic development with the implementation of environmental policies.

Scaling Up

The scale up this initiative, BVRio initiated an effort to assemble a network of agents to assist landowners registering with BVRio to engage in the process of compliance with Forest Law. These agents include:

• Agricultural federations and unions.

• Agribusiness cooperatives and associations.

• Individual brokers and consultants.

BVRio is also working with other stakeholders that have the ability to influence landowners in this process like banks, governmental environmental agencies and state attorneys.