The Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvacalled on Wednesday developed countries to “place money” on the table to preserve the amazonat the close of a regional summit that ended without any ambitious commitment to end the deforestation.
“We are not the countries Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela… those of us who need money, it is nature that needs financing”Lula stated after the second day of the meeting, which brought together for the first time in 14 years representatives of the eight member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), in the city of Belém (north).
On the first day of the summit, the Amazonian countries announced an alliance against deforestation in the largest tropical forest on the planet, but failed to agree on common goals, which disappointed NGOs and observers.
This Wednesday, they met with representatives of other regions, such as Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Indonesia, which also have extensive tropical forests in their territories, with a view to the COP28 against climate change to be held this year in Dubai. .
“We are going to COP28 with the aim of telling the rich world that if it wants to effectively preserve forests, it is necessary to invest money, not only to care for the trees, but also for the people who live there” there, added Lula.
Brazil also invited the presidents of countries such as Norway and Germany, main donors of the Brazilian Amazon Fund -created to finance environmental projects- and France, although they sent ministerial or embassy representatives.
In a joint declaration at the end of the extended meeting, the Amazonian countries called on the developed countries to “comply with their obligations regarding climate financing” and contribute “US$ 200,000 million a year by 2030″.
COP30, in 2025, will be held precisely in the city of Belém.
No common goals against deforestation
Lula received on Tuesday the presidents of Colombia, Gustavo Petro; from Bolivia, Luis Arce; from Peru, Dina Boluarte; as well as the Prime Minister of Guyana, Mark Phillips, and the Venezuelan Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez.
Ecuador and Suriname were represented by their foreign ministers.
The eight members agreed in a statement “establish the Amazon Alliance to Combat Deforestation”, in addition to strengthening its cooperation against organized crime in the region and promoting sustainable development.
The objective is “prevent the Amazon from reaching the point of no return”from which, according to scientists, it will begin to emit more carbon than it absorbs, aggravating climate change.
The regional alliance will work to achieve the “national goals” of deforestation in each country, such as Brazil, which plans to eradicate it by 2030, according to the agency.
“It has never been so urgent to resume and expand our cooperation,” said Lula, whose country hosts the 60% from the Amazon.
Environmental experts regretted, however, that the “Declaration of Belém” brought few concrete measures.
“There are no goals or deadlines to eradicate deforestation, nor mention of the end of oil exploitation in the region. Without these measures, the Amazon countries will not be able to change the current predatory relationship with the jungle”affirmed Leandro Ramos, director of Programs of the NGO Greenpeace Brazil.
Consensus and divergences
Among the objectives agreed upon by the presidents is that of “guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples”including the “full and effective possession” of their territories, considered an important barrier against deforestation, due to the sustainable use they make of resources.
They also agreed to create a scientific panel, modeled on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and a Center for International Police Cooperation in the Amazon city of Manaus.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an eradication of fossil fuels in the Amazon.
“Isn’t that a complete contradiction? (…). A jungle that extracts oil? Is it possible to maintain a political line of that level, bet on death and destroy life?he said in his speech.
The debate comes at a time when Brazil is looking at a new and controversial exploratory frontier of the state-owned Petrobras in front of the Amazon river delta and defended by Lula.
Between 1985 and 2021, the South American jungle lost 17% of its vegetation cover, due to activities such as cattle ranching, but also to illegal logging and mining, according to data from the MapBiomas Amazônia research project.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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