Piauí Launches REDD+ Carbon Program With Silvania

In a bold move towards catalysing climate action and safeguarding the Amazon biome, Brazilian state of Piauí announced an ambitious jurisdictional REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) carbon credit program with Silvania, a ground-breaking natural capital investment platform. The project is an ambitious effort to prevent deforestation, sustain development, and provide socio-economic benefits to local communities while producing high-value carbon credits that are consistent with national policy and international climate objectives.

The Geneva-signed project positions Piauí in charge of first-line jurisdictional climate action ahead of COP30.

COP30 will occur in Belém, Brazil, in November. As the program begins, Piauí will reduce deforestation by 10% annually. This would generate over 20 million carbon credits by 2030. They will earn them under the ART TREES (Architecture for REDD+ Transactions - The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard), ensuring integrity, transparency, and market credibility globally.

Governor Rafael Fonteles welcomed the program with excitement and said, "This is a pioneering movement for Piauí to decrease deforestation and climate change. With the support of Investe Piauí and Silvania, we will not only save our forests but also eco-friendly opportunities for our citizens." The program differs from conventional REDD+ projects that normally involve private land owners. Rather, it is a government-sponsored, jurisdictional program that involves extensive areas, that covers public institutions, and that includes indigenous and traditional community participation.

The funding for the program will be provided by Silvania, which has set aside between BRL 10 million and BRL 20 million to set it up and certify it through the ART TREES system. As offtaker engaged, Silvania will also buy the carbon credits produced, thereby creating a solid market corridor. The move is under Silvania's overall "Race to Belém" mission to mobilize private capital for forest protection and nature-based solutions ahead of COP30.

Victor Hugo de Almeida, Investe Piauí President, referenced the dual goal of global climate protection and community development. "We are making sure that our environmental action has concrete advantages for the people of Piauí as well. By using the ART TREES standard and targeting local communities, this agreement is a turning point for our state." The initiative is especially crucial for Piauí, located in the MATOPIBA region—a new global agro-frontier renowned for its economic and environmental relevance. This area offers challenges and opportunities for forest conservation and food production balance.

In order to guarantee technical quality and long-term success, Piauí has contracted the services of Geonoma, a sustainability and biodiversity company with more than 15 years of experience. Geonoma will oversee technical program design, and Systemica, a Brazilian carbon asset management company, will offer complementary services and support. The collaboration draws from Silvania’s prior success in implementing similar programs in Brazilian states like Tocantins, offering a tested model that integrates public policy with private sector investment.

Celso Fiori, Silvania’s Brazil Director, emphasized the significance of the program’s homegrown roots, stating, “As a Brazilian leading Silvania’s efforts on the ground, I’m proud to see this level of ambition from the State of Piauí. This project takes our success in the Tocantins and demonstrates how locally developed solutions with global capital can make a tangible difference for the climate. His comments highlight the emerging power of locally driven, jurisdiction-scale solutions to best project-level, piecemeal solutions to ending deforestation and enabling sustainable development.

Silvania CEO Eelco Hoekstra also cited the advantages of collective action on climate. "This partnership shows how public-private partnerships can catalyze effective climate action while enabling local communities and rewarding sustainable agriculture," he said. By linking environmental integrity with economic opportunity, the Piauí-Silvania partnership signals the larger trend in global climate finance, both emphasizing responsibility and inclusiveness.

The REDD+ mechanism will also provide direct co-benefits for indigenous communities, small farmers, and local cooperatives through the development of sustainable agriculture, secure tenure rights, and the conservation of biodiversity. This vision in its full conception of climate action unites ecological, economic, and social considerations and serves as an example to be followed by other jurisdictions throughout Latin America and the rest of the world.

As the world turns to Brazil at the doorstep of COP30, Piauí REDD+ is observed not only as a climate project but as a model of an inclusive, scalable, and high-integrity carbon market. Supported by robust institutional capacity, technical skill, and investment from the private sector, the program is a cause for hope in the global fight against deforestation and the pressing objectives of the Paris Agreement.