On final day of G20 summit, Lula urges countries to advance climate goals

In an environmental appeal to bloc leaders, the president noted that the world's 19 largest economies, gathered at MAM, are responsible for 80% of emissions During the final working session of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged fellow bloc leaders to move forward their greenhouse gas emission neutrality goals "from 2050 to 2040 or even 2045." Environmental issues were a key focus of Brazil's G20 presidency, and Lula, who pushed for the inclusion of climate actions in the summit's final declaration released yesterday, stated that next year's UN Climate Conference, to be held in Belém, will be the "COP of change." — To the developed members of the G20, I propose advancing your climate neutrality goals from 2050 to 2040 or even 2045. Without acknowledging their historical responsibilities, rich nations will lack credibility to demand ambition from others — said Lula. — To developing countries, I call for your Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to cover the entire economy and all greenhouse gases. G20 Social: Final statement advocates taxing the ultra-wealthy and condemns far-right misinformation Fun in Rio: 20 paired activities for the G20 holiday weekend in Rio de Janeiro In the G20 final declaration adopted on Monday, despite initial objections from Argentina, the chapter on "Sustainable Development, Energy Transitions, and Climate Action" was one of the longest, reiterating that all actions should consider "economic, social, and environmental" dimensions, preferably in a multilateral context. In Tuesday's speech, the president advocated for the creation of a UN Climate Change Council "to coordinate different actors, processes, and mechanisms that are currently fragmented" and reminded that the countries with leaders at the table today are responsible for 80% of global emissions. — Hope is renewed with every commitment and act of courage in defense of life and the preservation of the conditions in which it was given to us — Lula asserted. The president reiterated the goal of ending illegal deforestation by 2030, stating that there has been a 45% reduction in forest destruction over the past two years, and urged the international community "to do its part" in combating climate change. — Even if we no longer cut down any trees, the Amazon will remain threatened if the rest of the world does not fulfill its mission to curb global warming — he declared. — The oceans are another important climate regulator and potential source of solutions. They must also be a priority in our concerns. Lula criticized the volume of global contributions to environmental actions, deemed insufficient: according to him, nine years ago, during the conference that established the Paris Agreements, there was talk of US$100 billion annually, but today the amount reaches "trillions" of dollars. Last week, an independent group of economists stated during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, that if nothing is done now, actions costing US$1.3 trillion per year will be needed by 2035. — These trillions exist but are being wasted on armaments while the planet is in agony — said the president. In addition to calling for solutions at COP29, Lula also stated that the next conference, COP30, to be held in Belém, "will be our last chance to prevent an irreversible breakdown in the climate system." — I count on everyone to make Belém the COP of change — said Lula. Trump Effect At a private event on the sidelines of the G20 in Rio on Sunday night, Environment Minister Marina Silva expressed anticipation that President Joe Biden's administration would announce its NDC before leaving the White House. — This announcement will be important both domestically for the United States, to guide those with climate action in the private sector, academia, subnational states, and also for international public opinion — said the minister. Last week, President-elect Donald Trump announced Chris Wright, an oil and gas executive and climate change skeptic, as his new Energy Secretary, and Trump himself has expressed doubts about the effects of global warming—during his first term, the Republican withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and has signaled he will do the same when he takes office in January. When asked about a potential weakening of the climate agenda in the U.S. following Donald Trump's return to the presidency, and its impacts on the world, the minister was unequivocal: — A government only ends when another takes office — she stated. — State commitments are state commitments. In the minister's view, a potential U.S. withdrawal from key climate discussions and agreements in the coming years is "obviously a huge setback," but not the end of the world. — (The U.S.) is the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and the country with the greatest resources and technological base, so it's a huge loss. But let's not forget that the U.S. was not part of the Kyoto Protocol and that their entry into the Paris Agreement was well after others, and the climate agenda progressed — she remarked. The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.