Conflicts and Negotiations between Oil Industry and Conservation of the Atlantic Forest in the North Coast of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Many protected areas of the planet are under pressure from mining and energy activities. In relation to oil and gas exploration and production, there is a strong correlation between areas of high biodiversity and geological formations containing hydrocarbons. Additionally, many areas of interest of the oil industry overlap with sensitive areas, endangered ecosystems, and indigenous territories. In Brazil, although most of the oil and gas exploration and production (around 94%) are in the offshore fields, the treatment and transportation occur mainly in coastal regions. The oil infrastructure has been installed in the highly threatened Atlantic Forest biome and its associated coastal ecosystems. This paper explores the conflict between the expansion of oil and gas activity and the preservation of the State of São Paulo Atlantic Forest. Based on the arena concept, the paper analyze the environmental licensing process of “Mexilhão Entreprise” of the Brazilian Oil Company (Petrobras) in the State Park of the Serra do Mar (PESM) on the north coast of São Paulo. The paper highlights the role and importance of protected areas as power resources in the negotiations of arena. The existence of these areas may not be enough to deal with the pressures of oil and gas activities, but undoubtedly their presence influences decision-making and the results of negotiation processes. From the theoretical and methodological points of view, this paper shows the importance of multi-actor and multi-level analysis, to deal with the conflict and the decision-making on energy enterprise and biodiversity conservation.