Climate problems are the fault of rich countries, says Salles

Federal deputy Ricardo Salles (PL-SP) stated that rich countries are responsible for climate problems in the world. According to the former Minister of the Environment, Europe and countries such as the United States and China are substantially increasing the burning of fossil fuels.

“They complain that Brazil, and other countries with tropical forests, are taking actions to mitigate the climate issue, but they themselves are truly responsible for the damage”, pointed out Salles, who also said that rich countries use non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to to instil in Brazil the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The speech was made during a meeting of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) of NGOs that heard deputy Salles as a guest. “Who made the industrial revolution, from the 19th century, were the rich countries, like Germany, England, the United States, Japan. They cut down their forests to make railway sleepers, coal for locomotives, industries running with boilers . They ended up with the forests to make the industrial revolution and they got rich with it”, contextualized Salles.

The deputy also said that while the rich countries were making the industrial revolution, Brazil was an agricultural country, with a population living mostly on the coast. “Historically, it’s their problem. It is not Brazil’s role to wear a mask of being guilty of climate change,” added Salles.

Salles also said that the secretary general of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, has made “catastrophic and hypocritical” demonstrations when pointing out what the world should do about climate problems. “The world has to do such a thing, but the bill is on Brazil’s shoulders”, said Salles. “By instilling a feeling of guilt in Brazilians, they shove all these projects, all these NGOs and restrictions down our throats. As if we were to blame for something they created and are expanding”, criticized the former minister.