SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Based on an analysis of specific themes, this article seeks to portray some of the relevant socio-economic impacts caused by Environmental Law in Brazil. To this end, the discipline of Environmental Law and its instruments of implementation are initially delimited, defining the five phases of the subject. The social impacts due to the constitutionalization of the right to an ecologically balanced environment and the instruments aimed at developing basic infrastructure in Brazil are then explored. In particular, issues such as the constitutional right to an ecologically balanced environment in the 1988 Federal Constitution and the impact of Environmental Law on basic infrastructure in Brazil are discussed. With regard to economic impacts, the costs of environmental protection, the transformation of natural resources into economic assets and changes in the consumption model are examined. This article uses an analysis of norms and instruments, as well as official and market data, to conclude that Environmental Law plays an important role in promoting positive impacts on society, the economy and the environment.