Just two weeks after his election as President of Brazil, Lula da Silva told crowds at COP27: “Brazil is back.”
“We must stop this rush to the abyss. There is no climate security for the world without a protected Amazon,” said Lula, adding: “We will do whatever it takes to have zero deforestation and the degradation of our biomes.”
“There is no climate security for the world without a protected Amazon,” Lula said.
On the first day of 2023, as he signed the document officially instating him as President of Brazil, Lula da Silva stated: “Our message to Brazil is one of hope and reconstruction.”
Hoje começamos uma nova etapa na história do Brasil.
📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/UuKghbZu6O
— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 1, 2023
It was reported that Jair Bolsonaro’s government ended with just under a 60% increase in Amazon deforestation. Contrastingly, under Lula’s previous terms as President, deforestation was reported to decrease by over 70%.
“He made Brazil a significant player on the world scene … Brazil was a serious country – it helped create the G20, it established relations … with the Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa]. Brazilians were nominated to run the WTO and the FAO,” said Richard Bourne, Lula’s British biographer.
Lula has now promised to “rebuild” Brazil, reverse and end deforestation and undo the damage caused by the previous government.
What’s going on in the Amazon?
The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest on earth – two-thirds of it are within Brazil’s borders, roughly equivalent to the size of the United States.
However, the current deforestation level of the Amazon is estimated to be around 17%, with the rainforest’s “tipping point” estimated to be at around 20-25%.
Recent data has shown that this tipping point could be nearing, and if reached there could be widespread consequences not just for the Amazon, but for the whole planet.
Quantifying the exact level of deterioration going on in the Amazon is challenging, however some scientists have said that the Amazon is now emitting more CO2 that it’s absorbing, accelerating the climate crisis.
What’s more, another study looked into the possibility that what’s happening to the Amazon Rainforest could be impacting other regions like the Tibetan plateau and West Antarctic ice sheet through teleconnections.
The path ahead
Since officially becoming President, Lula has already begun making positive climate- and environment-related moves.
One of Lula’s first acts in office was to reinstate the “Amazon Fund,” a global support program aimed at funding environmental protection efforts in the Amazon. This fund was suspended by Bolsonaro. Both Germany and Norway have indicated willingness to unfreeze their contributions.
Lula has also appointed Marina Silva as Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, as well as Sônia Guajajara (an indigeneous woman) as the country’s first-ever minister for Indigenous peoples.
In fact, Lula has appointed a total of 11 women to join his government.
What’s more, Brazilian senator Jean Paul Prates (who has been advocating for higher investments in renewables) has been appointed to the role of CEO of Brazil’s national energy company, Petrobras.
These are just a few of Lula’s recent actions as Brazil’s new President. As for what’s next, the world can only watch and hope that under Lula’s leadership, the Amazon or so-called “lungs of the planet” can be restored.
“Today, we begin a new stage in the history of Brazil,” stated Lula on Twitter on January 1 2023.
Dia 1 ❤️
🎥: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/YKQQGjQhUn
— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 2, 2023
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Correction: This article (including the title and subtitle and subheadings) has been entirely reworked, refocused and shortened substantially (including content and overall message) to avoid any possible misunderstanding or unfair assumptions, generally, or in relation to individuals, organisations, industries, countries or intergovernmental organisations.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: The Amazon Rainforest. Featured Photo Credit: Ivars Utināns/Unsplash
