The US government of Joe Biden is pressing Itamaraty to adopt a statement at the Summit of the Americas that creates commitments considered “complicated” by the government of Jair Bolsonaro.
This week’s summit has become a risk to the White House after Washington decided not to invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Last week, ten countries in the region criticized the decision, while the risk of a boycott by Mexico and other governments threatened the event.
Biden sent an envoy to Brasília to discuss Jair Bolsonaro’s presence at the event to save his summit. Among the White House’s gestures is a bilateral meeting between the two leaders, a request made by the Planalto Palace for months.
However, the presence of the Brazilian is not enough to save the summit. Behind the scenes, negotiators reveal to the column that one of the main points of contention right now is a joint statement on climate change and the environment that Biden wants approved.
But without Brazil, the climate chapter wouldn’t make any sense. But some aspects of the text proposed by the Americans have been met with apprehension by the Planalto Palace, and there is no understanding, at least for now, according to diplomats.
Brazilian diplomats also predict that the recent disappearance of The Guardian newspaper’s reporter in the Amazon may increase the pressure on Bolsonaro. Journalist Dom Phillips and local writer Bruno Pereira disappeared while on an expedition to one of the forest’s most isolated areas. The Brazilian was threatened.
The British newspaper said in a statement that it was “very worried and urgently sought information on Mr Phillips’ whereabouts and condition”. “We are in contact with the British Embassy in Brazil and local and national authorities to reveal the facts as soon as possible.”
According to the newspaper, Phillips joined one of Pereira’s expeditions in the same region in 2018 to report on the Amazon’s missing tribes. He is currently preparing a book on the environment.
Brazil’s commitments were received positively by Biden’s chief climate negotiator, John Kerry, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November. But even then, the White House made it clear that it would buy the implementation of promises made by the country. But since then, data shows deforestation has once again set a record.
Negotiators for the Los Angeles summit point out that a declaration that was supposed to show the region’s commitment now threatens to show the distance between countries.
At the end of 2021, when the first document was prepared at the summit by the OAS (Organization of American States), the theme of “green future” emerged as one of the priorities.
“We work together under the Paris Agreement, and we know that even if we undertake our own efforts, our combined success in America depends on regional cooperation in defining and implementing policies that support development goals and limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius,” the document said.
“International institutions, national and subnational governments, the private sector and civil society must work together to promote a just energy transition that emphasizes decarbonisation, renewable energy and energy efficiency while increasing shared equity in a green future”, they stress.
The document also states that “energy, transportation and other critical infrastructure projects can support multiple goals, such as protecting against environmental damage, creating good jobs, delivering valuable new services, and building resilience through deliberate projects around the impacts of our changing climate.”
The environmental problem is still seen as a factor that increases economic growth. “More climate adaptation and resilience will help countries, businesses and citizens mitigate and rapidly recover from future natural disasters and extreme weather events. Future-oriented efforts will accelerate economic recovery while expanding education and training to create and maintain a global climate at the same time. It also provides the opportunity for a competitive green workforce,” he said.
“Governments and stakeholders can work together to improve social and physical infrastructure to support future sustainable green industries, address the threat of climate change, and ensure equitable access to energy resources.”
But when negotiations for the summit began, governments could not even agree on an agenda.
source: Noticias
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