Pioneering biodiversity finance: First Brazilian restoration project to receive a biodiversity label, earning S&P Global’s highest “Dark Green” rating.
Transformational funding model: R$ 80M disbursed via BNDES’s Climate Fund, enabled by Bradesco’s private guarantee and ESG advisory.
Scalable nature-based solution: Supports 16,000+ hectares of restoration in the Amazon and Atlantic Forests, reinforcing Brazil’s emerging climate economy.
re.green, a Brazilian ecological restoration firm, has secured R$ 80 million in funding from BNDES’s Climate Fund in a first-of-its-kind deal that combines financial innovation with environmental leadership.
This marks the first biodiversity-labeled forest restoration project in Brazil, with S&P Global Ratings awarding it a “Dark Green” classification — the highest possible in its international Shades of Green methodology. The recognition affirms the project’s alignment with global sustainable finance standards, including ICMA, LMA, SBG, and the IFC’s Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide.
“We’re marking a double milestone: unlocking public capital through private guarantees and receiving technical recognition for forest restoration as a tangible solution for climate, biodiversity, and sustainable territorial development,” said Thiago Picolo, CEO of re.green.
The financing structure, built with a guarantee from Bradesco and ESG advisory by Bradesco BBI, channels capital to restore more than 16,000 hectares across the Atlantic Forest and Amazon — two of the world’s most critical biomes. The focus: climate mitigation, biodiversity recovery, and local development.
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“At Bradesco BBI, we’re proud to structure a transaction that not only brings financial innovation, but also reinforces our commitment to a more resilient and regenerative economy,” said Felipe Thut, Head of Fixed Income at Bradesco BBI. “We need to pave the way for more projects like this to emerge.”
The initiative also sets a precedent for Brazil’s Climate Fund, which BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante calls a powerful tool to finance environmental recovery.
“This is a clear demonstration of the strength of this Fund, made available by President Lula and the Federal Government to allow BNDES to decisively combat the effects of climate change in our country,” Mercadante noted.
re.green’s projects already span over 26,000 hectares, with 4.5 million seedlings of 80+ native species planted in collaboration with 29 local nurseries. The operations have generated 200+ direct jobs and trained 300 individuals in seed collection, fire prevention, and beekeeping.
The company also holds an AAe rating from BeZero Carbon, placing its carbon credit initiatives among the most credible globally.
As re.green scales, this landmark transaction reinforces its model as a replicable blueprint for using nature as infrastructure — de-risking capital flows, building investor confidence, and accelerating Brazil’s transition to a nature-based, climate-resilient economy.
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