Almost half of all green house gas emissions in Brazil can be traced back to large-scale deforestation of the Amazon. Cattle farming, soy bean cultivation and logging are threatening the rainforest. To stop these developments, the authorities are planning to place large tracts of the Amazon region under an environmental conservation order. The Amazon Region Protected Areas Program will receive support from the International Climate Protection Initiative. By 2016, 60 million hectares of Brazilian rainforest should be protected under the scheme.