Brazil gears up for playing environmental lead, minister and VP pledge

Record ID: 1705398

  • Title: Brazil gears up for playing environmental lead, minister and VP pledge
  • Date: 5th January 2023
  • Summary: BRASILIA, BRAZIL (JANUARY 4, 2023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT, LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, TALKING TO VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRY, TRADE, AND SERVICES, GERALDO ALCKMIN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN VICE PRESIDENT, GERALDO ALCKMIN, SAYING: “Our MDIC (Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Ser
  • Embargoed: 19th January 2023 01:19
  • Keywords: Brazil Cabinet Environment Government Lula da Silva Ministers
  • Location: BRASILIA, BRAZIL
  • City: BRASILIA, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001047405012023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Brazil will not shy away from playing a leading role in addressing climate change and the impending emergency the world is facing, senior figures in the country's new government said on Wednesday (January 4).
    Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who also serves as Minister for Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, pledged to create a new secretary for the green economy, decarbonisation, and bioindustry.
    A sustainability agenda was “fundamental” for the future of the South American country, Alckmin added.
    In the same vein, environmentalist Marina Silva, the newly-appointment environment minister, announced the creation of an extraordinary secretary to end deforestation and plans to set up a climate authority within the administration of President Luiz Lula da Silva.
    Lula took office on Sunday pledging to stop deforestation in the Amazon, a vital biome to curb climate change.
    He quickly revoked the policies of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro who eased environmental protection and allowed the rate of deforestation to surge to a 15-year-high on his watch.
    Silva, the daughter of Amazon rubber tappers, became a prominent environmentalist and held the same ministerial position for five years during Lula's first and second terms.
    She oversaw a significant drop in deforestation at the time, a task she will have to tackle again in helping Lula to fulfill his campaign pledge to stop illegal deforestation.
    Silva said restoring Brazil's prominent role as an environmental leader will help the South American trade bloc Mercosur conclude its free trade deal with the European Union, which had been held up by concerns over uncontrolled Amazon deforestation.
    (Production: Lais Morais, Isadora Machado, Anna Portella)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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