Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday vetoed some provisions of a bill that would have made it easier for companies to secure environmental permits, bowing to pressure from activist groups.

Dubbed the “devastation bill” by its detractors, the text recently adopted by lawmakers would have loosened environmental licensing laws for projects considered “strategic” by the state.

For some permits, all that would have been required is a simple declaration of the company’s environmental commitment.

Lula instead reinstated the current strict licensing rules for strategic projects, such as a controversial oil mega-project at the mouth of the Amazon river, but set a one-year deadline for them to be approved or rejected.

His veto also ensures that several Indigenous territories a

See Full Page