Ministry of Transport establishes requirements for all contracts in the sector, with a transition period for active contracts
The determined that concession contracts allocate up to 1% of their investment ceiling to projects to adapt to climate change and environmental actions. The ordinance with the new rules was published on Thursday (May 7, 2026). The measure replicates a strategy already applied on federal roads since 2024.
The text establishes different timelines for the application of the standard. Concessions that are still in the formulation phase will have the mechanism included automatically. Companies that have ongoing contracts will have 2 years to adjust their operations and prioritize works to reinforce the network.
As a direct impact of this transition, the government indicates that there will be financial rebalancing in active contracts, which will be done by reducing the concession amounts paid by companies or increasing the concession period.
APPLICATION OF RESOURCES
The money set aside by the companies will be used to pay for reinforcements in structures to withstand the impact of the increase in rainfall in the country. The cash will also be used to finance renewable energy projects and programs to protect fauna and flora in the regions crossed by the tracks. The adoption of other types of socio-environmental projects will require approval from the (National Land Transport Agency).
In an interview with iNFRA Agencythe Minister of Transport, George Santoro, declared that the investor market demands quick responses so that the country’s logistics operations are not interrupted by natural disasters.
According to the minister, the rail rule took longer to come out than the road version because it required extensive negotiations with the private sector and the AGU (General Attorney’s Office).
EVALUATION AND CONTROL
ANTT now has a period of 1 year to define how it will monitor and measure the results of these investments. For the money to be used, projects will have to follow the ministry’s guidelines. Companies will move the amount through a specific bank account linked to each concession contract, with open data to ensure transparency.
The government also determined that the regulatory agency requires technical studies from concessionaires. The objective is to map the stretches most vulnerable to extreme events. All this information will feed SIM-AdaptaVias, an official risk monitoring system.
For Santoro, the financial space stipulated by the ordinance paves the way for the sector to change its energy matrix – such as replacing diesel-powered locomotives. The minister classified the package of standards as a “silent revolution” of engineering, which works in conjunction with other recent measures from the department, such as satellite hillside surveillance and structural inspection of bridges
