Initiative
Regenera América
About the initiative
Conservation and regeneration of biomes
In 2024, we completed the investment cycle of Regenera América, a program launched in 2021 to boost our emissions reduction efforts. We supported regeneration and conservation projects in iconic biomes of Latin America, which are vital for tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, and uplifting local communities.
Latin America is home to 40% of the world’s biodiversity, and protecting its biomes is crucial for maintaining ecosystem services and fighting climate change. From 2021 to 2024, we invested USD 24.2 million in nine projects in Brazil and Mexico, covering over 15,000 hectares of native forest being restored and conserved — equivalent to more than 14 million trees preserved or restored. These efforts are expected to capture 1.1 million tons of CO₂e and prevent the emission of over 3 million tons of CO₂e over 30 years.
We sought partners who adopted community-based strategies, including payment for environmental services to small producers, the production and purchase of seedlings in community nurseries, and the marketing of sustainable products. This allowed us to strengthen the restoration supply chain, creating jobs and boosting income for the communities involved.
To ensure the sustainability of the projects, we pre-purchased the carbon credits that will be generated in the future. In partnership with the implementers:
- We determined the implementation costs of the project.
- We mapped the potential for generating carbon credits.
- When the credits are actually issued, part stays with Mercado Libre for compensating part of its emissions, while another part goes to the landowners, generating additional income for them through forest protection and restoration.
Transparency and monitoring
To assist us in the planning, selection and monitoring of projects, we joined forces with Pachama, a startup that uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence solutions to monitor and track forest regeneration to account for carbon. Pachama's work involves gathering precise satellite images that provide traceability, transparency and scalability for regeneration and conservation projects. This ensures that future carbon credits meet the highest standards of quality.
Impact
Since its launch in 2021, Regenera América has generated significant impacts on the restoration of ecosystems in Latin America. The project began with an investment of USD 7.2 million in initiatives in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, one of the most threatened biomes on the planet and where most of our operations are concentrated. This amount was proportional to Mercado Libre's carbon footprint in 2020 (scopes 1, 2 and 3).
Since then, we have expanded our work to other biomes in Brazil and Mexico, boosting our commitment to environmental regeneration. With additional funding of USD 10 million in 2022 and USD 5.9 million in 2023, we hit a total investment of USD 24.2 million by 2024.
Discover the projects that have been made possible
Curuá: Conducted in partnership with Future Climate, the project covers 8,200 hectares and protects the habitat of endangered animal and plant species in one of the largest forested areas of the Amazon. Additionally, it creates job opportunities for local communities involved in deforestation monitoring.
Novas Florestas: A forest restoration project covering 155 hectares of the Atlantic Forest in the state of São Paulo, with the planting of 279,000 native trees, in partnership with the NGO Agência Ambiental Pick-upau. The focus is on reforestation with native species in rural properties, promoting habitat connectivity and water conservation, while also aligning with socio-environmental activities.
Águas da Mata Atlântica- Corredor Tinguá-Bocaina: The project is restoring 170 hectares of degraded land to create ecological corridors and improve water quality in the Guandu River basin. In partnership with the NGO ITPA, the initiative promotes biodiversity conservation and generates jobs for local families.
Café Apuí - Amazonas: A restoration project covering 20 hectares in the Amazon rainforest that, in synergy with coffee production, contributes to the development of responsible agriculture and the creation of alternative income for local farming families.
Corredor Pau Brasil: A restoration project in the Atlantic Forest through reforestation with native trees in the state of Bahia. The initiative enables the creation of a biological corridor between two national parks in the region and is carried out in partnership with the NGO Natureza Bela. The restoration process has begun in a 170-hectare area.
Corredores de Vida: This project aims to create ecological corridors through the restoration of native forest ecosystems in degraded areas of the Pontal do Paranapanema region in São Paulo, an area extremely important due to its remaining biodiversity. Together with IPÊ, the project began restoring 300 hectares, generating income for local families and allowing for the expansion of existing nurseries in the Pontal area.
Conservador da Mantiqueira: Together with TNC, we launched a project for the natural regeneration of 2,714 hectares of native forest across different smallholder properties along the Serra da Mantiqueira, covering three states (SP, RJ, and MG). This area of the Atlantic Forest extends across the Southeast region of Brazil and contains key watersheds that provide water for millions of people.
Corredor Campeche: Restoration of more than 720 hectares of the Selva Maya, the largest tropical forest in Central America, in partnership with Toroto. The project connects forest restoration to biodiversity conservation and strengthens local governance for an integrated landscape management approach, bringing benefits to the community.
Llanos de Apan: In partnership with Toroto, this initiative seeks to prevent the increasing erosion of the Apan region in Hidalgo, which has led to soil loss, while also improving the health of the aquifer through the restoration of 3,135 hectares. Additionally, the project includes soil conservation activities, the restoration of water bodies, and environmental education in the region.
Through Regenera América, we help preserve iconic biomes in Latin America.
Key results
USD 24.21 million
Invested between 2021 and 2024
15,199
Hectares under restoration or conservation
Over 10 thousand
People benefited through ongoing projects in Brazil and Mexico
Over 500 thousand
t CO2e captured in 30 years
3 million
t CO2e avoided in 30 years
Learn more about our initiatives
Energy Management
We increased energy efficiency and the consumption of renewable energy sources in our operations across the region.
Sustainable Mobility
We minimized the impact of logistics operations by expanding the fleet of electric and low-emission fuel vehicles, along with partnerships that enable us to adopt innovative solutions.
Circular Material Use
We look for solutions to reintegrate resources into the production cycle, fostering material circularity. We focus on three areas: reducing, replacing, and recycling, as well as raising awareness across the value chain.
