The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has arrived at Cop28 with a large group of over 2,000 individuals and ambitious plans to tackle inequality and preserve the world’s tropical forests.
The individual referred to as Lula stated that his nation was setting a good example by revising their climate objectives to be more ambitious than those of many developed countries. He also mentioned that they have significantly decreased deforestation in the Amazon and have a goal to completely eliminate it by 2030.
However, any claims he may have had to being a leader in climate action and reducing fossil fuels were diminished when his energy minister, Alexandre Silveira, decided to use the world’s largest environmental conference as an opportunity to reveal that Brazil intends to align itself more closely with Opec, the world’s largest oil cartel.
Environmental activists in Brazil expressed outrage at the timing and symbolism of recent events, citing them as evidence of the deep divisions within the country. Despite making significant progress in reducing deforestation in the Amazon, Brazil has continued to pursue oil exploration in environmentally fragile regions.
The executive secretary of the Brazilian Climate Observatory, Marcio Astrini, stated that the act of celebrating membership in the oil club during a climate conference is a disgraceful move. He compared it to the Minister of Mines and Energy contradicting President Lula’s environmental speech. Astrini also added that having ministers who act in this manner makes enemies for the president unnecessary.
At the conclusion of the most scorching year in recorded history, individuals from various affected nations, including scientists, activists, and politicians, are urging delegates at the United Nations climate conference to establish a target of eliminating the use of fossil fuels.
They had anticipated Brazil, the future host of Cop30 in two years, to be a potential supporter. Since assuming office in January, Lula – a long-time member of the Workers party – has consistently emphasized the importance of addressing the climate crisis and has backed the efforts of his environment minister, Marina Silva, to undo the environmental damage caused by his right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula now has a strong advantage at the summit thanks to these developments: deforestation, responsible for approximately half of Brazil’s carbon emissions, has decreased to its lowest point in five years. Additionally, his administration has set more ambitious goals for reducing emissions, vowing to achieve a 53% reduction by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, and achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century.
According to Ani Toni, the secretary for climate change in the government, Brazil has successfully reduced 250 million tonnes of carbon this year, which is equal to the amount in Argentina. She confidently stated that Brazil is entering Cop28 with a sense of accomplishment.
In addition to setting a good precedent, Brazil hosted a summit for countries in the Amazon region earlier this year and attempted to form a coalition with other environmentally-conscious major powers, including Indonesia and Congo.
During the 28th Conference of the Parties (Cop28), there is a proposal to create a forest fund that would compensate countries for decreasing deforestation and encourage forest inhabitants to refrain from harmful activities like logging, ranching, and mining. The fund would be overseen by either the World Bank or another international organization and is expected to begin at $100 million and gradually grow to the necessary amount in the billions to protect and restore vital carbon sinks, regulate rainfall, and preserve biodiversity.
A distinct fund for loss and damage has been previously accepted to assist the countries and communities that are most at risk from severe weather. Brazil is anticipated to show leadership among developing nations by advocating for wealthy nations, who hold the greatest responsibility for the climate crisis, to make substantial contributions.
Officials from the foreign ministry of Brazil have announced that their country will take on the role of protecting the world’s most ambitious climate objective, which is to cap global temperature rise at 1.5C (2.7F) above pre-industrial levels. This commitment remains in place, despite increasing evidence from the scientific community that this goal may be surpassed sooner than predicted. In order for there to be any possibility of avoiding this outcome, it is crucial for emissions to begin decreasing at a rapid pace. This will necessitate a swift and complete transition away from the use of fossil fuels.
Brazil, along with the US, UK, UAE, Norway, and several other nations, finds itself on uncertain footing in regards to their plans for new oil ventures. These countries are all moving forward with approving projects that do not align with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Following Cop28, Brazil is set to hold an auction for numerous oil drilling sites, including some located in environmentally delicate regions such as near the Amazon river mouth, as reported by Carol Pasquali from Greenpeace.
According to her, Brazil is facing conflicting issues. While it is making progress in preserving forests, it is also burdened by its history of oil exploration. In order to be seen as a leader in climate action at Cop30, Brazil must strive for greater consistency.
Political obstacles hinder progress. In order to win the election, Lula had to form a coalition with a diverse group of politicians, including those from the environmentalist left and the pro-agriculture right.
Brazil’s indigenous communities have a stronger voice than before thanks to Lula’s appointment of the country’s first minister of indigenous peoples, Sonia Guajajara. She is one of 15 ministers in Brazil’s delegation, which is more than three times the size of any the country has sent before and reportedly the biggest in the history of UN climate summits. A broad church, it includes civil society activists, businesspeople, academics and Indigenous representatives.
Delegate Neidinha Cristóvão Kanindé stated that it is important for this police officer to ensure that Indigenous individuals are genuinely listened to and have their rights protected, particularly in regards to territorial demarcation.
Source: theguardian.com
