Marina Silva defends that Brazil has a ceiling for oil exploration

The Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva, said in an interview with the British newspaper “Financial Times” (FT) that Brazil should consider limiting oil production and exploration so that it can triple renewable energy. Her position puts her against the government’s own plans to transform the country into one of the largest producers of the commodity by 2029.

“One issue that will have to be faced is the issue of limits, of a ceiling for oil exploration. It is a debate that is not easy, but that oil producing countries will have to face”, said the minister.

She continued: “Brazil is an oil producer. This is a debate that will have to be fought, even in the context of war. We are committed to the goal of tripling renewable energy. But all of this cannot be done if we do not discuss the issue of limits to exploration.”

The newspaper defines that Marina’s comments reflect a tension in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) efforts to burnish Brazil’s environmental credentials in protecting the Amazon while supporting oil drilling for its economic benefits.

FT cites Marina as one of the most respected environmentalists in the world: “Her appointment as minister earlier this year by President Luiz Inácio Lula foi da Silva was hailed as a symbol of Brazil’s commitment to ecological protection and the green transition”, says the newspaper.

Marina’s mission faces obstacles within the government itself, which hopes to take advantage of new offshore fields to increase oil production in the coming years. The Ministry of Mines and Energy has set a goal of increasing production from 3 million barrels per day in 2022 to 5.4 million by the end of the decade.

The government has been criticized for the lack of clarity in its energy transition proposals. Furthermore, it lobbied at COP28 and is betting on the exploration of new margins, such as the Equatorial Margin and the Pelotas Basin – the state-owned company Petrobras was the company that won the most blocks in an auction held on the 13th.

Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira told the Financial Times that he saw “no contradiction” between the country’s oil and gas goals and its aspiration to lead the global transition to green energy. He said oil revenues would help finance the move.

The minister’s opinion does not free the country from controversies. At the beginning of this month, attention was drawn to the invitation that the country received, in the midst of COP28, to join the OPEC+ group, which comprises the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies.

Lula says the country will be an “observer” in OPEC+, focused on convincing rich oil nations to invest in alternative sources.

“Brazil said one thing, but did another at the COP28 summit. It is unacceptable that the same country, which claims to defend the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, announces its alignment with the group of the largest oil exporters in the world”, said Leandro Ramos, from Greenpeace Brasil, according to the FT .