Brazil’s National Mining Plan 2050: What You Need to Know
On January 9, 2026, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME – Ministério de Minas e Energia) opened Public Consultation 211/2026 on the draft National Mining Plan 2050 (PNM 2050 – Política Nacional de Mineração). Stakeholders have until February 8, 2026 to submit comments through the MME's Public Consultation Portal (available here) or via the Brasil Participativo platform (available here) (Portuguese only). PNM 2050 is designed to replace the National Mining Plan 2030, building on the regulatory and institutional progress made over the past decade and addressing the shortcomings identified in that earlier plan.
The National Mining Plan serves as Brazil's long‑term strategic framework for the mineral sector, with planning horizons of up to 30 years. It forms part of the National Mining Policy established by Decree 11.108/2022 and operates alongside the Targets and Actions Plan, which outlines short‑term goals, initiatives, and projects, over a term of up to six years.
PNM 2050 draws on five technical reports produced in collaboration with the MME, the Geological Survey of Brazil (SGB – Serviço Geológico do Brasil), the National Mining Agency (ANM – Agência Nacional de Mineração), and several academic institutions and volunteer researchers. The technical reports provide assessments of:
The national geological knowledge base;
Mineral exploration and production;
Value chains associated with minerals essential for the energy transition;
The competitiveness of Brazil's mining industry; and
The conditions required for the sector's sustainable development.
The draft plan released for public consultation reaffirms the Federal Government's commitment to promoting a mining sector that is sustainable, equitable, and participatory. This is the second version to undergo public review, and the first following CNMP Resolution 5/2025, which established procedural guidelines for the preparation of strategic national plans for the mining sector. The document also reflects the government's effort to design public policies grounded in robust, systematized, and rigorously analyzed technical data.
Broad public participation, especially by businesses operating in the mining sector, is essential to shaping PNM 2050, given its role in guiding long‑term public policy for Brazil's mineral sector. This newsletter provides a summary of the main elements of the draft plan.
The Structure of PNM 2050
PNM 2050 is structured around three core pillars that define the long‑term direction of Brazil's mineral sector.
Sustainability and Social Value: Integrating social and environmental considerations into mining activities, with an emphasis on the sector's role in promoting sustainable development and delivering lasting benefits to the regions where operations take place.
Responsible Use of Mineral Resources: Advancing geological knowledge, supporting technological development, and strengthening production chains, with a particular focus on critical and strategic minerals to ensure their efficient and responsible use.
Strategic Governance: Reinforcing institutional capacity, improving the regulatory framework, adopting robust integrity practices, and enhancing the quality of institutional communication.
The plan also groups the sector's challenges and the corresponding public policies into nine cross‑cutting themes:
Social and Environmental Responsibility
Mining with Social Value
Geological and Mineral Resource Knowledge Base
Mineral Exploration and Production Development
Strategic Minerals for the Energy Transition and Food Security
Mining, Technology, and Value Addition
Governance and Integrity in Mining
Regulatory Environment and Market Opportunities
Image and Institutional Communication
Key Points
A Robust, Streamlined Regulatory Environment
PNM 2050 identifies the need to strengthen Brazil's regulatory and institutional framework as a central challenge for enhancing the competitiveness of the mineral sector. The plan's guidelines emphasize:
Greater predictability, coherence, and clarity in procedures;
Improved coordination among federal, state, and municipal authorities;
Expanded mechanisms for transparency and stability in decision‑making;
Mechanisms for monitoring regulatory quality;
Reduction of regulatory barriers to mining in border regions, balancing national security considerations with regional development needs.
Social and Environmental Responsibility
PNM 2050 reinforces the integration of ESG principles into the mineral sector's policies and day‑to‑day practices. The plan's priorities include:
Encouraging the adoption of ESG standards aligned with the best international practices;
Expanding technical and regulatory support programs for businesses;
Strengthening mine closure regulations, with an emphasis on environmental recovery;
Promoting circular‑economy initiatives and improved safety of mining structures; and
Developing national guides to disseminate best practices across the sector.
Critical Minerals and the Energy Transition
PNM 2050 places critical and strategic minerals at the center of Brazil's long‑term agenda for the mineral sector, positioning the country to meet growing global demand for inputs used in low‑carbon technologies (such as lithium, copper, nickel, graphite, cobalt, and rare earth elements) while also supporting national food security. The plan's priorities include:
Expanding geological surveying focused on critical minerals;
Supporting the expansion of ongoing projects;
Promoting training and technological innovation;
Strengthening supply chains for fertilizer inputs; and
Improving the legal framework governing nuclear minerals.
Financing in the Mineral Sector
PNM 2050 recognizes that limited access to financing remains a constraint on the competitiveness of Brazil's mineral sector, with much of the investment in mineral exploration still driven by foreign capital. To address these gaps, the plan calls for:
Expanding financing mechanisms and credit instruments, particularly for small and medium‑sized companies;
Fostering alternative funding sources modeled on international experience, including capital‑market solutions, specialized funds, royalties, and streaming arrangements;
Strengthening domestic financing channels to reduce reliance on foreign funds; and
Promoting innovation and increased productive capacity across the sector.
