Right to the City and Urban-Environmental Licensing:

Sustainability in Public Procurement for Works and Infrastructure Projects in Times of Climate Emergency

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the relationship between the legal framework of public procurement and urban-environmental licensing in light of the challenges imposed by the climate emergency, discussing its implications for the realization of the right to a sustainable city. The study examines the incorporation of the climate dimension into administrative acts related to procurement and urban-environmental licensing of public works and infrastructure projects, using as concrete examples the public constructions underway in the city of Belém (PA), in the preparatory context for COP 30. It seeks to answer the following research question: How can the articulation between the legal frameworks of public procurement and urban-environmental licensing contribute to the incorporation of the climate dimension into administrative acts and to the realization of the right to a sustainable city, in response to the challenges posed by the climate emergency in Brazilian urban spaces? As for the methodology, the research is bibliographic and documentary, with a qualitative approach and an analytical-descriptive and exploratory character. The results indicate that the articulation between public procurement and urban-environmental licensing remains incipient and, in the case of Belém (PA) in the pre-COP 30 period, largely overlooks the climate dimension. It is concluded that integrating these instruments is essential to promoting sustainability, climate justice, and the effective protection of vulnerable populations in Brazilian cities.