President Lula signs decree that regulates Green Mobility and Innovation Program

This Tuesday, April 15, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree that regulates the Green Mobility and Innovation Program (Programa Mobilidade Verde e Inovação/MOVER). Published in this Wednesday’s (16) Official Gazette, the text establishes technical and environmental parameters for energy efficiency, recyclability, and security that vehicle makers and importers must follow to commercialize in Brazil as of June 2025. The act occurred during an industrial launch ceremony promoted by the Japanese automotive company Nissan, in Resende, Rio de Janeiro.

This is exactly what happened in Brazil: money started to circulate, people became more informed and began earning a little more, and the minimum wage started to rise slightly above inflation” 
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
President of the Republic

The text also encourages adherence to vehicle labeling programs that transparently inform consumers about the environmental and energy performance of models available on the market. With the momentum generated by the MOVER Program and the New Industry Brazil (NIB) initiative, both launched in 2024, the automotive sector has announced BRL 130 billion in investments over the coming years, including factory expansions and the launch of new sustainable technologies.

“By 2012, 3.6 million cars were being sold. When I returned to the presidency in 2023, do you know how many cars were being sold in this country? Just 1.6 million — less than half of what was sold between 2010 and 2012. How many dealerships had to close? Because there were no cars to sell, and when there were, people did not have the money to buy them,” said President Lula at the event marking the start of production of the new Nissan Kicks in Brazil. The assembly line will boost job creation and is part of the brand’s BRL 2.8 billion investment plan in the country, announced by the company in November 2023 during a meeting with the president.

Lula stressed that the advancements recorded in Brazil “did not come for free” and are not the result of “luck” but are, rather, the result of measures adopted by the Federal Government to ensure stability and predictability and to bolster the economy. “This is exactly what happened in Brazil: money started to circulate, people became more informed and began earning a little more, and the minimum wage started to rise slightly above inflation,” he declared.

EXPANSION — Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, emphasized President Lula’s great effort to promote the growth of the sector in Brazil. “The industry spearheads innovation and technology; it aggregates value, pays higher salaries, and promotes the country’s development,” Alckmin summarized.

INCENTIVE — During the ceremony, Nissan Latin America’s President, Guy Rodríguez, addressed the importance of predictability in the country so that companies can plan their investments, which is made possible by the Federal Government’s policies to stimulate the industry. “We are talking about how we can work to improve, lower logistical costs, and invest in bringing technology. This is what makes MOVER so important. Today, the Vice President spoke about projects he is signing to promote even more the integration of new technologies in Brazil. And this allows us to invest with confidence and predictability and to offer the best that Nissan has around the world to the clients here in Brazil,” he stated.

In 2025 alone, MOVER foresees BRL 3.8 billion in incentives. The program stimulates investments in new technological routes and increases the requirements to decarbonize the Brazilian automotive fleet, including passenger cars, buses, and trucks.

OPPORTUNITY — Representing Nissan workers, production operator Thaís de Farias shared that a scholarship promoted by the partnership between SENAI and the Government allowed her to graduate as a mechanical technician. “I always believed that education could provide me with a better life quality. I am extremely grateful to the Lula administration for providing [this opportunity] and for thinking of policies so that people like me can dream, and not only dream but make their dreams come true,” stated the 26-year-old professional.

WORKERS CREDIT — The Brazilian Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho, took the opportunity to speak to Nissan workers about Workers Credit (Crédito do Trabalhador), a payroll-deductible loan launched by the government for formally employed workers. “As of yesterday afternoon, more than 1.1 million workers had signed contracts under this program, with nearly BRL 6.7 billion already made available. The feedback we have received is, ‘we managed to lower interest rates and improve our lives,’” Marinho shared.

COMPLEX — In addition to the launch of the new vehicle model on Tuesday (15), Nissan’s Industrial Complex in Resende (Rio de Janeiro) celebrated 11 years of operations. As part of efforts to modernize the facility, 98 new robots were installed and 297 new jobs were created on the production line. The factory also added 29 new Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), bringing the total to 202 units. These small self-guided robots transport parts and platforms, making operations more flexible, safer, and quieter. The complex includes both a vehicle assembly plant and an engine plant, operating a full production cycle. The unit employs around 2,200 Nissan staff, a number that rises to over 3,000 when including supplier employees working on-site or supporting production.

RESULTS — In 2023, Nissan commercialized 72,548 vehicles in Brazil, a 35% growth compared to the previous year, while the market average was 11%. Last year, the company grew 21%, with 87,441 units sold, above the average 14% of the sector as a whole.