TheLaw 15.512/26establishes principles and guidelines for the formulation and implementation of public policies aimed at guaranteeing the right of children and adolescents to nature.
The text, sanctioned by the acting president, Geraldo Alckmin, was published in the Official Gazette of the Union on Wednesday (23). The law originated from Project of Law 2225/24, authored by Deputy Laura Carneiro (PSD-RJ).approved by the deputiesand by the senators.
According to the law, the public power must ensure that the rights of children and adolescents are specifically considered in public urban development policies. There should also be participation of this public through procedures appropriate to different age groups.
Thus, demands such as:
- needs of children and adolescents in the use of urban space;
- priority of equipment for playing in areas such as parks, libraries, squares and sidewalks; and
- creation of alert and escape routes that are easy for this age group to access in the event of extreme weather events;
Urban planning will also need to conduct research to identify where the largest number of children and adolescents walk and cycle, in order to prioritize improvements in these points related to their safety and presence;
Naturalized spaces
The law also stipulates that the Union, states, and municipalities should facilitate and encourage the creation of natural play spaces in public and private locations where children and adolescents circulate, including with the presence of natural and cultural elements of the territories.
They should also promote programs for visiting this public and their families and schools to protected areas, conservation units, and green and blue areas (aquatic ecosystems).
Education and nature
Within their respective competencies, the federal, state, and municipal governments should promote, in the education network, the adoption of nature-based education.
Nature-based education is defined in the text as the convergence of environmental and climate education with educational strategies that promote access and connection to nature.
As law cites, as examples of actions and projects:
- the students' contact with nature;
- the promotion of school spaces adapted to climate change and socio-environmental sustainability;
- the promotion of natural spaces around the school; and
- the prioritization of schools in receiving solutions of climate adaptation and mitigation policies.