‘Nobody can impose their will’, says Marina Silva – 09/08/2023 – Environment

The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, said this Wednesday morning (9) that the Amazonian nations have not assumed a goal of zeroing out deforestation in the biome due to lack of consensus. The inclusion of the agenda in the declaration signed by the eight countries at the Amazon Summit had been defended by Brazil, but ended up being left out.

“The negotiation process is always a mediated process, because no one can impose their will on anyone. So, there are progressive consensuses: as we have some consensus, we put it in the document”, he declared in an interview with the state channel CanalGov and EBC radio.

She highlighted the importance of the text having included the objective of not reaching the point of no return in the Amazon – when deforestation exceeds a limit that allows the recovery of the forest, which becomes impoverished and enters a process of desertification. She also highlighted the fact that Brazil already has a goal of eliminating deforestation.

“Although it is not mentioned in the joint declaration, due to the lack of consensus with other countries, Brazil already has this commitment”, he said.

“We are already working to achieve zero deforestation by 2030. Since taking office, our government has worked tirelessly so that, together with other partners and state governments, we can cool down the rate of deforestation, which was on the rise. “

While the inclusion of the goal to end deforestation in the biome was defended by President Lula’s government (PT), Colombian President Gustavo Petro had been leading the defense for banning oil exploration in the Amazon. Both commitments were left out of the final text, published on Tuesday night (8).

The minister also commented on the request for oil exploration in the Foz do Amazonas basin made by Petrobras, which wants to drill the seabed to assess the size of the oil reserves in the region.

In May, the drilling license was denied by Ibama (Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), which sees risk in the oil company’s activities in a region of socio-environmental vulnerability. The state-owned company appealed the decision, which is under further analysis by the supervisory body.

Questioned about the possibility of the ministry releasing the authorization, Marina was adamant that Ibama and the ministry neither facilitate nor hinder the licensing process. “We look at the licensing request, technical analyzes are carried out and, in a government that respects the law and has an ethical commitment to environmental conservation and science, the studies and positions of technicians are respected”, she said.

The head of the environmental portfolio said that Ibama will analyze the appeal presented by the state-owned company with exemption and will give its verdict, as it has done before. “We have already granted more than 2,000 licenses to Petrobras. So, it is unfair, sometimes, when people say that Ibama is having a political or ideological position”, he pointed out, adding that, if the authorizations granted are technical, the same goes for those who are denied.