Petrobras and Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) have announced the launch of ProFloresta+, a pioneering reforestation and carbon credit initiative designed to restore 50,000 hectares of degraded land in the Amazon rainforest.
A forest worker planting a tree in the Amazon. AI generated picture.
Backed by an investment of $77 million (R$450 million), the initiative aims to generate 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) removals—equivalent to offsetting the emissions from nearly 9 million gasoline-powered vehicles annually. Beyond its environmental impact, the programme is also expected to generate 4,500 jobs, underlining its role in regional socio-economic development.
ProFloresta+ introduces a new level of transparency and structure to Brazil’s carbon credit sector, featuring publicly available contracts and clear pricing mechanisms. The first phase of the programme involves the acquisition of 5 million carbon credits, which will support reforestation efforts across 15,000 hectares of land.
‘This initiative allows Petrobras to meet its climate commitments while stimulating Brazil’s restoration sector with high-quality carbon credits’, said Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard.
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To ensure the long-term viability of the programme, BNDES will provide financing solutions to project developers through credit lines such as the Climate Fund. The initiative is the result of collaboration with nonprofit partners—the Nature Investment Lab (NIL) and the Climate and Society Institute (ICS)—who contributed to the technical and socio-environmental criteria guiding the programme.
‘ProFloresta+ establishes a new standard for carbon credit transactions’, said Maurício Tolmasquim, Petrobras Director of Energy Transition and Sustainability. ‘This standard contract for high-integrity restoration carbon credits will serve as a reference to expand Brazil’s restoration and carbon credit market.’
BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante also highlighted the project's alignment with Brazil’s national decarbonisation goals, emphasising its role in scaling up Amazon restoration efforts. Socio-Environmental Director Tereza Campello added that the initiative could transform the Arc of Deforestation into what she calls the ‘Arc of Restoration’, marking a strategic turning point for the region’s environmental future.
Read more: DGB’s cookstove projects: How they truly make a difference
At DGB Group, we share the vision behind initiatives like ProFloresta+: turning degraded landscapes into thriving ecosystems through high-integrity reforestation. Our nature-based projects do more than capture carbon—they regenerate biodiversity, uplift communities, and build resilience where it's needed most. By investing in verified carbon credits from cookstoves to large-scale forest restoration, your business can play a pivotal role in this global transformation while aligning with your sustainability goals.
