Converted Jair Bolsonaro promises to end up …

In a striking twist in his environmental discourseBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has pledged to end illegal deforestation in his country by 2030. At the same time, he asked for a contribution from developed countries to compensate Brazil’s environmental services in the world. The president spoke from Brasilia at the climate summit convened by US President Joe Biden, with the participation of some 40 leaders from around the world. In a letter sent to Biden this month, Bolsonaro said he was “ready to work for the protection of the Amazon.”

Bolsonaro, who even threatened to use “gunpowder” against those pressuring him to reduce deforestation amaHe pledged that Brazil would achieve carbon “neutrality” in 2050, ten years ahead of schedule. The moderation of the tone of the Brazilian president’s speech contradicts the proposals he has defended in recent years: spoke out in favor of reducing environmental fines, stopping the demarcation of indigenous lands and promoting the interests of rural producers. He also accused NGOs of being “cancerous” and called young activist Greta Thunberg a “kid”.

“I decided that our climate neutrality would be achieved in 2050, anticipating the previous ten-year commitment,” Bolsonaro said during his speech and added that this will require “eliminating illegal deforestation by 2030”. The Brazilian president assured that to achieve this goal, a “full” application of the forest code will be carried out and that if he stops illegal logging, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 40 percent.

Bolsonaro admitted it will be a “complex task” due to budget limitations, but nonetheless announced a “strengthening” of environmental agencies, “doubling the resources” for crime monitoring actions. The Brazilian press had predicted that the president wanted to create a fuSecurity agency with resources from other countries and controlled by Brazil to monitor Amazon deforestation, after reducing current control agencies, such as the Brazilian Institute of the Environment (Ibama) and the Chico Mendes Institute.

Indirectly, the president asked the international community to compensate Brazil for its contribution to the world. Bolsonaro spoke of “fair remuneration” for the “environmental services” that Brazilian biomes (areas sharing climate, flora and fauna) provide to the planet, which he believes would be a way of recognizing the economics of preservation activities.

In his brief speech at the top, the far right leader avoided talking about the increasing rates of deforestation in the Amazon and assured that Brazil is “at the forefront of the fight against climate change”. He stressed that the country conserves 84 percent of the forest, that the country’s agriculture is “one of the most sustainable on the planet” and that it is one of the few developing countries with ambitious targets. reduction in emissions.

In the last days Concern has grown over the possibility of the United States government reaching an economic deal with Brazil in exchange for a commitment to preserve the Amazon.. Nearly 200 environmental organizations and Brazilian civil society have sent a letter to President Biden warning that solutions for the Amazon cannot be obtained “with negotiations behind closed doors with its worst enemy”.

In 2019 and 2020, deforestation in the Amazon was 10,700 and 9,800 square kilometers, respectively, their highest levels since 2008 according to official data. Forest fires in the Amazon and the Pantanal have also reached very high levels. The concerns relate to drastic cuts in the budget and staff of environmental protection agencies.

The far-right leader has clearly changed his tone from his previous speeches at major international summits. In September 2020, during the United Nations General Assembly, Bolsonaro said his country was “the victim of one of the most brutal disinformation campaigns” about the fires that ravaged the Amazon and the Pantanal..

But environmentalists were not convinced by this new version of the president. “Brazil left this summit as it entered: discredited. Bolsonaro spent half of his speech asking for money for previous environmental conquests, which his government has been trying to destroy for two years, “he tweeted. Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate observatory.

Bolsonaro promised in his speech this Thursday “to double the funds” intended for the repression of environmental crimes, although the Minister of the Environment Ricardo Salles, who a few days ago, he was denounced by the federal police for helping to cover up the illegal loggers, He said there was no set amount yet as this year’s budget has been discussed so far and is expected to be set this week. The decision “may be considered a good start, but Brazil will be forced to show not just goodwill, but numbers“he assured Oliver stuenkel, Professor of international relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.