Amazon Summit: Environmentalists criticize lack of concrete goals
The 113 objectives and principles listed in the Belém Declaration, signed at the end of the Amazon Summit by the eight signatory countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACTO), set no targets for deforestation and offer no practical solutions to prevent climate change. Such is the conclusion reached by NGOs following the debate held in Belém, Pará state, this week.
In the view of Greenpeace Brasil, which participated in the Amazon Dialogues and watched the Amazon Summit, the document with the commitments of the Amazon governments fails to establish goals and deadlines for deforestation and the end of oil exploration in the region. According to Greenpeace Brasil Program Director Leandro Ramos, the Belém Declaration does not bring clear measures to respond to the crises currently facing the world.
“There are no targets or deadlines for halting deforestation, and no mention of ending oil exploration in the region. Without these measures, the Amazon countries will not be able to change their current predatory relationship with the forest, its biodiversity and its peoples. Worse, the commitments made in the declaration do not give a clear signal of how the Amazon governments plan to act together to respond to the climate crisis, which is already a reality for the Amazon population, especially for those living on the outskirts of the region’s cities,” said the director.
The declaration signed during the Amazon Summit presents the consensus points of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The document includes proposals on topics such as climate change, monitoring of water resources, protection of forests, Amazon coastal zones, vulnerable ecosystems and biodiversity, sustainable infrastructure, economy for sustainable development, health, food and nutrition security and sovereignty, social protection, human rights, and the recognition of Amazon cultures.
In the opinion of the Climate Observatory, an association of environmentalist nonprofits in Brazil, the presidential document echoes other multilateral declarations. The 113 proposals in the document, the group stated, have the merit of reviving the ACTO and recognizing that the biome is under threat of reaching a point of no return, but does not offer practical solutions and a timetable for action. The observatory also criticizes the lack of mentions about a possible phase-out of fossil fuels.
“The planet is melting, we are breaking temperature records every day. It is not possible that, in such a landscape, eight Amazonian countries cannot affirm in bold letters that deforestation must be zero and that exploring for oil in the middle of the forest is not a good idea. In short, the document lacks force. It is a wish list, and the wishes are insufficient,” said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory.
Despite the political importance of the Amazon Summit, with the recognized need for international cooperation and a large participation of society, the Institute of Man and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon) argued the declartion failed to establish clear goals and deadlines concerning the end of deforestation in the region. “I expected the document to set an end to deforestation within this decade, despite Brazil and Colombia’s stance in that direction,” senior researcher Beto Veríssimo, co-founder of Imazon, noted.
Veríssimo also noticed the absence of a clear commitment to end fossil fuel exploration in the region. “The risk of oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River can have implications for the climate and biodiversity, as well as impacts on this region, which is the largest river ecosystem on the planet and very sensitive from an environmental point of view.”
Political stance
According to WWF, despite the importance of the declaration as a political stance in favor of the Amazon, the text did not define concrete goals for some of the critical issues facing the region. The organization criticizes the lack of consensus among Amazon countries on ending deforestation. “The presidents decided to create an Amazon Alliance to Combat Deforestation, but did not agree on a unified goal, which is crucial to avoid the point of no return,” the organization declared.
In his closing speech at the summit, Brazilian President Lula said the Belém Declaration brings together very concrete initiatives to address the challenges shared by the eight countries. “The Belém Declaration and the joint communiqué we adopted during these two days of the Summit are a step toward building a common agenda with developing countries with tropical forests. They will pave our way to COP30, when we will be back here in Belém,” the president said.
