Apart from football, we have many common interests, such as strengthening our business relationships or fighting climate change.Rishi Sunak said at the start of a meeting with Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, who traveled to London for the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.
“Let’s End Deforestation”
“That’s why I’m happy to announce that we’ll be investing in your Amazon Fund, and I commend you for your leadership in this area.The prime minister added as he received the Brazilian president at his official residence in Downing Street. A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office said the contribution amount was “£80 million, (…) will help eradicate deforestation and protect biodiversity in the region“.
The Amazon Fund, created in 2008 when Lula was president, is currently worth about 3 billion reals (about 550 million euros) and has Norway as its main donor (90% of the funding). At the end of January, during an official visit to Brasilia, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged his willingness to pay 200 million euros to protect tropical forests, including a 35 million contribution to the Amazon fund.
Lula meets King Charles III
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also spoke with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Friday. Officially crowned this Saturday, King Charles III asked Lula “Caring for the Amazon”Massive deforestation under Jair Bolsonaro’s mandate. “The first thing the king said to me was that I should take care of the Amazon, and I answered him: ‘I need help’“The Brazilian president explained this when he met the British monarch, a staunch defender of the environment, at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
The leader of the country with more than 60% of the planet’s tropical forests, meanwhile, urged developed countries on Saturday to “take the climate issue very seriously”. Brazil’s president has sharply criticized developed countries for failing to deliver a $100 billion climate aid pledge for 2009 to help poor countries adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “These countries that destroyed their forests during industrialization 200 years ago need to understand that they have a debt when it comes to carbon emissions, and they need to pay that debt so we can protect our forests,” he said. Meanwhile, Lula has pledged to eradicate illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. “It’s a matter of respect,” he insisted.
Amazon, preferably
US President Joe Biden also announced last month that he would allocate $500 million (about 450 million euros) to fund Amazon, but the amount still needs to be approved by Congress. Returning to power for a third term in January, Lula has pledged to prioritize protecting the Amazon forest and end illegal deforestation by 2030.
Under the leadership of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, average annual deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 75% compared to the previous decade. In late April, Lula announced the approval of six new indigenous reserves, legalized over five years, as bulwarks against deforestation, giving indigenous peoples lands to protect their traditional way of life.
With AFP
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