LACLIMA | LATIN AMETICAN CLIMATE LAWYERS INITIATIVE FOR MOBILIZING ACTION

We were born as the first network of climate change lawyers in Latin America

LACLIMA emerged as the first organization of climate change lawyers in Latin America. Today, with the creation of the LACLIMA Institute, we have expanded our activities to other areas of knowledge, while maintaining our commitment to the study, development, sharing and production of knowledge, with the lens of climate change law.

This expansion was carried out in such a way that the LACLIMA Network remained exclusive to law graduates and students, while the LACLIMA Institute became multidisciplinary, integrating different perspectives to address climate challenges. Thus, our structure is organized into two complementary fronts: the LACLIMA Institute, which is multidisciplinary in nature, and the LACLIMA Network, which focuses on the engagement and action of specialized law enforcers.

The LACLIMA Institute is structured with a board of directors with relevant experience in the climate change scenario and carries out strategic actions to fulfill the organization's mission.

The LACLIMA Network is the realization of a very significant purpose within the organization, currently encompassing more than 1,200 members, including students, graduates and legal professionals. The LACLIMA Network has thematic Working Groups that organize events, debates and initiatives on the main issues that are at the intersection of Law and Climate. The work of its coordinators is fundamental to the full integration of the organization.

Who makes LACLIMA

Our mission is to resolve the climate crisis through a legal perspective.

Find out how

Our story so far

Our work

The global fight against climate change is based on an essential document of almost universal scope: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was later implemented by the Paris Agreement. It contains the standards for how governments should act in combating the climate crisis.

LACLIMA seeks to ensure that climate knowledge, public climate policies and climate actions are coherent and focused on the fair transformation of society towards a more equitable and low-carbon model, involving the public and private sectors, so that the basic conditions for promoting climate stability are met.

Our areas of focus cover a wide range of topics, including the UNFCCC international climate regime and its Paris Agreement, climate litigation, mitigation efforts, climate justice and just transition, adaptation strategies, loss and damage, carbon markets, transparency and climate finance, all aimed at promoting effective climate action in the region.

Capacity building therefore becomes transversal in LACLIMA's actions, which are grouped into four programs:

Climate Policy

Integrating academic research and professional training with the formulation of public policies.

Global Advocacy

The LACLIMA delegation supports, empowers, and updates civil society, members of government delegations, and other stakeholders on the process of international climate negotiations.

Thematic Areas

Development of technical documents on various topics related to climate action.

LACLIMA Network

LACLIMA también organiza y alberga una red de graduados, profesionales y estudiantes de derecho, actualmente con más de 1.200 miembros en todo Brasil, conocida como Red LACLIMA.

Más sobre la Red LACLIMA >

Esta iniciativa se centra en crear una comunidad de profesionales cualificados y comprometidos, promoviendo acciones orientadas a la educación, investigación, sensibilización y promoción en el ámbito del derecho climático. En 2025, el instituto pretende promover activamente la expansión continua de la red a América Latina.

LACLIMA develops projects according to the demands of each client or partner. Click on the button to continue and find out about some of the projects that will count on our contribution.

Our projects (soon)

Team LACLIMA

Get to know who works at the LACLIMA Institute.

André Castro Santos

Technical Director

Bárbara Prado

General Coordinator

Caroline Medeiros Rocha Frasson

Director of Public Policy and Engagement

Flávia Bellaguarda

Executive Director

Gaia Hasse

Coordenadora de Projetos

Giovana Serra

Technical Analyst

Juliana Coelho Marcussi

Manager of Climate Policies and Carbon Markets

Júlia Stefany Lima

Climate Policy and Carbon Markets Analyst

Maria Gabriella de Souza

Climate Policy Analyst

Mariana Maraschin

Network and Communications Coordinator

LACLIMA Council

LACLIMA brings together a diverse range of professionals to form its Council, segmented in Consultive Council and Fiscal Council.

(more information soon)
(more information soon)

LACLIMA Network

The first Network of lawyers, law graduates and law students interested in and specialized in the topic of climate change in Latin America, dedicated to the study, development, sharing and production of knowledge. The LACLIMA Network is currently organized into 11 Working Groups (WGs). The WGs are an initiative of the LACLIMA Institute that aims to promote debate, knowledge exchange, training and the production of materials by members of the LACLIMA Network on various topics of climate law.

WG Agriculture

LACLIMA’s Agriculture WG is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting solutions to climate challenges in the agricultural sector, integrating multidisciplinary perspectives. The WG addresses topics such as integrated agricultural systems, financial instruments for climate transition, geographical indications, sustainable agroforestry products, biodiverse food and the importance of biomes in combating climate change. The group seeks to promote public policies, sustainable practices and the production of knowledge to mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture, with a focus on food security and climate resilience.

Coordinator(s):

Marcelo Budal

Mentor(s):

Denny Thame

WG Amazon

LACLIMA's Amazon WG is a working group focused on discussing and proposing solutions to the climate and socio-environmental challenges of the Amazon, integrating legal, political and multidisciplinary perspectives. The group seeks to promote training, reflection and concrete actions for the protection of the Amazon, considering its global impacts and the needs of local populations.

Coordinator(s):

Manuella Oliveira

Mentor(s):

Ciro Brito

WG Carbon Makets

LACLIMA's Carbon Markets Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the development of carbon markets in Brazil, focusing on legal, regulatory and socio-environmental aspects. The Working Group addresses topics such as the fundamentals of carbon markets, additionality, the Brazilian carbon market bill, jurisdictional REDD+ projects, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and the relationship between forest carbon projects and collective territories in the Amazon. The group seeks to train its participants, analyze challenges and opportunities in carbon markets, and propose solutions that integrate climate mitigation with socio-environmental justice.

Coordinator(s):

Thais Stoppe

Mentor(s):

Thiago Assunção

WG Climate Finance

LACLIMA’s Climate Finance WG is a working group focused on discussing and promoting financing mechanisms for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions, both in the public and private sectors. The group seeks to train its participants, identify obstacles and opportunities in climate finance, and propose solutions to align financial flows with the needs of decarbonization and the promotion of climate justice.

Coordinator(s):

Diego Miranda

Mentor(s):

Ana Carolina Duque

WG Climate Justice

LACLIMA’s Climate Justice Working Group is a working group dedicated to promoting an anti-racist, decolonized, and territorialized approach to tackling climate change, with a focus on human rights, socio-environmental justice, and inclusion. The group seeks to empower its participants, foster dialogue with social and grassroots movements, and propose climate solutions that prioritize the protection of life and equity.

Coordinator(s):

Daniel Jaoude

Mentor(s):

Gabriel Mantelli

Leilane Reis

WG Climate Litigation

LACLIMA’s Climate Litigation Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the strategic use of litigation as a tool to address climate change, focusing on national and international cases. The group seeks to train its participants, foster knowledge production (such as the development of guidance materials) and propose innovative legal solutions to climate challenges. In addition, the Working Group promotes discussions on critical issues, such as litigation against financial institutions and shared responsibility in the commodity chain, contributing to the advancement of climate justice in Brazil and worldwide.

Coordinator(s):

Laura Gonçales

Mentor(s):

Klaus Schilling

WG Corporate and Climate

LACLIMA’s Corporate and Climate Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the integration of climate change into corporate practices, with a focus on governance, regulations, responsibilities, innovation and sustainability. The group seeks to empower and inspire companies to adopt sustainable practices, aligned with global climate demands, through case studies, discussions with experts and the production of guidance materials, such as booklets and newsletters.

Coordinator(s):

Lucas Marinho

Mentor(s):

Ana Chagas

WG Energy Transition

LACLIMA's Energy Transition Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the transition to a renewable and decarbonized energy matrix, focusing on the Brazilian and global contexts. The Working Group addresses topics such as the expansion of renewable energy, energy planning in Brazil, photovoltaic solar energy, green hydrogen, offshore wind energy, bioenergy, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and public policies for the decarbonization of the energy sector. The group seeks to train its participants, foster the production of knowledge (such as the "Observatory of New Frontiers of Renewable Energy in Brazil"), and propose solutions that integrate the energy transition with climate mitigation and sustainable development. The Working Group promotes discussions on critical topics, such as regulatory advances, technological challenges, and economic opportunities associated with the expansion of renewable energy in Brazil, contributing to the advancement of climate and environmental justice.

Coordinator(s):

Rárisson Sampaio

Mentor(s):

Isabela Morbach

WG International

The LACLIMA International Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the integration of climate change into the global agenda, focusing on topics such as international cooperation, climate diplomacy, human rights, carbon markets, loss and damage, and the implementation of climate commitments such as NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). The group seeks to empower its participants to participate in the global climate debate, promote synergies with other LACLIMA Working Groups, and contribute to the construction of legal and political solutions that address climate challenges on an international scale.

Coordinator(s):

Bruna Baltazar Pedicino

Mentor(s):

Enéas Xavier

WG Sociobiodiversity

LACLIMA’s Sociobiodiversity Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the integration between biodiversity conservation and climate change, with a focus on sociobiodiversity, environmental justice, and sustainable development. The Working Group addresses topics such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, bioeconomy, sustainable supply chains, the Brazilian Forest Code, biopiracy, biodiversity credits, payment for environmental services (PES), corporate responsibility and biodiversity, and climate governance in cities. The group seeks to train its participants, foster knowledge production, and propose solutions that integrate biodiversity conservation with climate mitigation and socioenvironmental justice. In addition, the Working Group promotes discussions on critical issues, such as benefit sharing, the protection of traditional knowledge, and the relationship between biodiversity and climate change, contributing to the advancement of climate and environmental justice in Brazil and worldwide.

Coordinator(s):

Elian Aurélio

Mentor(s):

Isayana Oliveira

WG Waste and Climate

LACLIMA’s Waste and Climate Working Group is a working group dedicated to discussing and promoting the integration between solid waste management and the fight against climate change, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promoting sustainable practices. The Working Group addresses topics such as the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS), GHG emissions in the waste sector, final waste disposal, basic sanitation, energy use of biogas and biomethane, waste prevention, reduction of the organic fraction, climate justice, and the transition to a circular economy. The group seeks to train its participants, foster the production of knowledge (such as the development of an e-book), and propose solutions that integrate waste management with climate mitigation. In addition, the Working Group promotes discussions on critical topics, such as the relationship between waste and water resources, and the importance of the participation of recyclable material collectors in climate justice.

Coordinator(s):

Ricardo Sefrin Negro

Mentor(s):

André Castilho

The complete list of LACLIMA Network members grows and is updated every month. Check out the updated list or get in touch to join the network!

Publications

LACLIMA brings you news, guides, leaflets, reports and much more! All work with technical quality and empathy to educate and support society. Here is the latest news on the site:

Bioinputs are essential for low greenhouse gas emission agriculture and for food and nutritional security in Brazil

More publications:

Our story so far

Here is a brief summary of our history. If you prefer, watch our presentation video:

2019

Nossas atividades se iniciaram com um piloto no Brasil em 07 de setembro de 2019, e estão se expandindo para toda a América Latina.