Between 2003 and 2010, when Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva served his first two presidential terms, deforestation rates in the Amazon fell by almost 70 percent.
In the hiatus between his exit from the presidency and his return, in January 2023, these rates had not only grown again, but were breaking records year upon year.
During the former administration of Jair Bolsonaro — who became infamous worldwide for his terrible record on the environment — Brazil lost, in forest coverage, an area equivalent to the size of Belgium between 2019 and 2022.
In 2021, Brazil was the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China, US, India, and Russia. Half of these emissions were caused by the destruction of green areas.
In a time when the world is looking for ways to avoid a climate tipping point, Lula presented himself as a leader who would turn Brazil into a global forerunner in the fight against climate change.
During the 2022 election campaign, Lula launched the most ambitious climate goals of any winning Brazilian president. He promised to end Amazon deforestation by 2030 and make Brazil’s energy matrix carbon neutral.
When he opened the General Assembly of the United Nations, in September 2023, Lula once again repeated what he had been saying in other diplomatic events and trips abroad: Brazil wants to invest in clean energy and ESG practices, and needs money from richer nations to do so.
His words are being well received in the international community. Since last year, the Amazon Fund (which had been paralyzed during the Bolsonaro administration) has received billion-dollar donations from countries such as the U.S., Norway, Germany, and Switzerland to invest in conservation of the rainforest.
In fact, destruction...
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