Brazil likely to cut greenhouse emissions early
Brazil’s public policies led to the reduction of 2.6 million tons in greenhouse gas emissions over the last two years, the country’s Environment Minister Edson Duarte said Wednesday (Aug. 22) during the Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week, in Montevideo. Not only will Brazil meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement, he said, but also achieve this goal “earlier than predicted”
“The region [Latin America and the Caribbean] has important targets to meet, and they have been met, especially thanks to the contribution made by Brazil. The decline in deforestation, especially in the Amazon and the cerrado, has brought major results for the fulfillment of the targets established for Brazil. The achievements made in the Amazon—a 12 percent reduction in deforestation last year—were considerable,” Duarte told Agência Brasil.
“The creation of new conservation units,” the minister said, “and the combination of what is no longer released into the atmosphere and what’s being captured by our forests bring really optimistic results for Brazil. We’re showing the world that Brazil will meet the targets and that it’s possible to entertain the possibility of making even other achievements, in addition to those already observed.”
Paris
Under the Paris Agreement, Brazil proposed a 37 percent cut in emissions by 2025, taking into account 2005 emissions and a possible 43 percent reduction by 2030. “In the last two years, Brazil restored its productivity, promoted development, generated employment, which is a clear sign to the world that economic development and the environment could and should walk hand in hand,” the minister stated.
Among the biggest challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean, Duarte mentioned soil conservation, food quality, efforts to become less dependent on agrochemicals, the care with water, the fight against animal trafficking, and illegal environment-related activities.
Brazil has played an active role in the world’s environmental arena, the minister argued, with a number of unanswered questions regarding the targets introduced by the Paris Agreement. “We’re putting not just our platforms but also our specialists at the disposal of other countries. We’re not just exporting goods, but also solutions for the environment. Brazil is a role model for the region as well as for the world.”
The Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week ends Thursday (23). The event aims to bolster initiatives on climate in the region and provide support for the contribution from multiple countries in an attempt to fulfill the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
