Amazon and Cerrado deforestation hit record lows under Lula before runoff vote

· Climate · Brazil

New data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, INPE, find that incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva presided over the lowest deforestation levels ever recorded in both the Amazon rainforest and the Cerrado savanna. The figures land as Brazilians head to the polls for a runoff election, making Amazon deforestation an issue on the ballot. Brazil's deforestation rate is the most closely watched indicator of the country's climate policy, because the Amazon stores vast amounts of carbon and its loss affects rainfall and agriculture across South America. Enforcement, satellite monitoring and land-use policy under the next administration will determine whether the decline holds.

Why it matters：Brazil holds the largest tropical forest carbon stock, so its deforestation trajectory shapes global emissions and commodity supply chains, and the election result could reverse or entrench the gains.

Key points

  • INPE data show record-low deforestation in both the Amazon and the Cerrado.
  • The figures come ahead of Brazil's runoff presidential election.

Sources (original reporting)

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