Lula pledges to fix Amazon Rainforest at COP27
Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was received by cheering crowds Wednesday at the ongoing United Nations climate conference, where he pledged to reinvigorate and preserve the Amazon Rainforest, Bloomberg reported.
In a pair of appearances at the Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt-based conference, known as COP27, Lula said he was "here in front of all of you to tell you that Brazil is back."
"Brazil can't be isolated as it was in the last four years," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lula, a well-known leftist icon in Brazil, won the presidency by defeating right-wing incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, under whose leadership the Amazon has seen its highest rate of deforestation in six years, BBC News reported. Lula, though, has said he would make environmental issues one of his highest priorities upon taking office.
"There will be no climate security if the Amazon isn't protected," Lula said, per The Associated Press. He added that his government is planning to crack down heavily on illegal logging and mining within the rainforest.
According to The New York Times, Lula also told the crowd that being invited to COP27 prior to taking office was "an acknowledgment that the world is in a rush to see Brazil participating once again in the discussion of the future of the planet and all the human beings that live on it."
While the Times noted that Lula did not make any new policy announcements, his words provide assurance that climate change will be at the top of his agenda.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Can the UK avoid the Trump tariff bombshell?
Today's Big Question President says UK is 'way out of line' but it may still escape worst of US trade levies
By The Week UK Published
-
Beyoncé's record-breaking night at the Grammys
Talking Point Long-denied Album of the Year win rights a 'historic sense of grievance'
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: February 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico start Feb. 1
Speed Read The tariffs imposed on America's neighbors could drive up US prices and invite retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames diversity, Democrats for DC air tragedy
Speed Read The president suggested that efforts to recruit more diverse air traffic controllers contributed to the deadly air crash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freeze
Speed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government use
Speed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.
Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
China's backyard: will Trump's aggression push Latin America away?
Today's Big Question Rift between US and Colombia, threats of tariffs on Mexico, designs on Panama Canal and mass deportations could encourage closer ties with Beijing
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against Hegseth
Speed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezes
Speed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published