Amazon Summit closes agreement without oil blockade – 08/08/2023 – Environment

After protests and speeches by NGOs and socio-environmental movements calling for a ban on oil exploration in the Amazon, the final text of the event among the heads of state of the biome does not mention the term fossil fuels, as anticipated by the Sheet. Named the Declaration of Belém, the document was published this Tuesday (8), after a closed-door meeting.

The text mentions four times the objective of avoiding the point of no return of the Amazon forest, that is, limiting deforestation to around 20% of the biome, preventing an irreversible process of desertification that would lead to the loss of the characteristics of the tropical forest.

However, the document does not set goals or deadlines for forest conservation and the fight against deforestation.

The goal of zero deforestation, defended by Brazil and Colombia, is also left out of the decisions. The term is mentioned in the preamble only as “an ideal to be achieved in the region”.

Among the paragraphs of the decision, the issue reappears as one of the options for national targets to be supported by regional cooperation.

In one of the few changes in the language of the text, there was an advance in the document’s only mention of the fossil fuel sector.

“Initiate a dialogue between the States Parties on the sustainability of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbons in the Amazon region, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and its sovereign national policies”, says the Declaration of Belém.

Last Sunday’s (6th) draft made only private actors responsible, providing “to urge actors involved in the life cycle of minerals and hydrocarbons to align their practices with the 2030 Agenda”.

The document maintains the content of the draft that the report had access to last weekend, before the conclusion of the Amazon Dialogues, which brought together NGOs and social movements in the three days prior to the Summit under the promise of the federal government to consider popular demands at the meeting. of heads of state.

The Summit began in the morning, with an official opening with speeches by authorities and civil society representatives.

The most striking speech was that of the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, who took the opportunity to shed light on the disagreements surrounding the meeting. The main one is the idea of ​​preventing new oil exploration projects in the Amazon, publicly defended by him and rejected by President Lula (PT).

In a harsh speech, which took place shortly after the Brazilian’s speech, Petro accused the left of climate denialism. “There is an enormous ethical conflict, above all by progressive forces, which should be on the side of science”, he stated, dealing with the scientific consensus on the climate crisis.

“[Os governos de] right have an easy escape, which is denialism. They deny science. For progressives, it is very difficult. It then generates another type of denialism: talking about transitions,” he said, referring to the term often used by governments to justify the continuity of investments in energy from fossil sources.

Criticized by Petro, the energy transition argument was reinforced throughout the afternoon by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, and by the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, who spoke to the press at separate times.

“What we have to do, including taking advantage of the fact that the COP will be here, is to discuss how the use of oil, which will still last for a few decades, can help finance the energy transition,” stated Prates.

Silveira, on the other hand, incited doubts, without presenting evidence, about the scientific consensus around the need to stop new investments in fossil fuels. Asked about Petro’s statement about denialism, Silveira did not comment.

Among the concrete measures decided upon by the declaration are the creation of a scientific technical panel for the Amazon, inspired by the IPCC, the UN climate panel, and also the Regional Amazon Observatory, which will be installed in the structure of ACTO (Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization). ) to share information in real time between countries.

The declaration also announces the creation of the Center for International Police Cooperation in the Amazon, based in Manaus, to integrate intelligence and police efforts in combating crimes in the region.

The text also brings a specific commitment to cooperation to combat illegal mining, providing for “eradicating the illicit exploitation of minerals and related crimes, including money laundering”.

Cooperation against gold mining should focus on “exchanging information on the trade and smuggling of mercury and other heavy metals and on harmonizing public policies for their regulation and control”.

The document recognizes indigenous rights, such as territorial rights and to be consulted on projects that affect their lands, in line with Convention 169 of the ILO (International Labor Organization). The agreement also provides for strengthening cooperation to face gender violence, misogyny and racism in the Amazon region.