Brazilian reforestation company Biomas cleared its first restoration project for a 1,200-hectare (ha) area of the Atlantic rainforest in southern Bahia state.
The Mucununga project, which will require initial investments of R55mn ($9.7mn), involved planting 70 native species, with the goal of regenerating the ecosystem in the region. The project is in one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, where only 26pc of native vegetation remains intact.
The project is part of the Biomas' broader goal of restoring 2mn ha of tropical forest over the next 20 years.
The project will generate 500,000 carbon credits over the next 20 years, the sale of which will be used to finance other restoration projects.
Brazilian pulp company Veracel owns the land for the project, across eight municipalities in the state.
Biomas was created in 2022 and its shareholders include Brazilian companies such as miner Vale, pulp and paper company Suzano, bank Itau and meat packer Marfrig.
Mucununga is one of many tropical forest restoration projects underway in Brazil and will help contribute to Brazil's Planaveg program, which has the goal of restoring and reforesting 12mn ha by 2030.
Brazil is seeking to showcase its potential to provide carbon credits and offsets through the protection of its standing forests and the restoration of previously deforested areas ahead of the UN Cop 30 climate summit, which will be held in northern Para state in November.

