At G20 summit, Lula calls on rich countries to take action to combat climate change – Planalto

President Luiz Inacio da Silva mentioned the tragedy caused by the hurricane that struck Rio Grande do Sul in recent days in his speech at the opening session of the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the G20 in New Delhi, India, this morning, Saturday 9/9. He once again called on developed countries to take more decisive action to expand the global fight against climate change.

» Full text of President Lula’s speech

» High-resolution photos (Flickr)

Lack of commitment to the environment is leading us to an unprecedented climate emergency. Global warming is changing rainfall patterns and raising sea levels. Droughts, floods, storms and fires are becoming more frequent and undermining food and energy security. Currently in Brazil, a hurricane has struck the state of Rio Grande do Sul, displacing thousands and causing dozens of fatal victims.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

The G20, formed by 19 countries and the European Union, brings together the world’s major economies, both developed and developing, to discuss common policies in a multilateral scenario. The theme of the opening session, titled “One Planet,” will be environmental conservation, sustainable development, energy transition, climate change, and carbon emissions.

“Lack of commitment to the environment is leading us to an unprecedented climate emergency. Global warming is changing rainfall patterns and raising sea levels. Droughts, floods, storms and fires are becoming more frequent and undermining food and energy security. Currently in Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul, a hurricane that displaced thousands and caused dozens of casualties.

For the president, it is essential that countries act as quickly as possible, so that the changes are mitigated. Otherwise, he said, the less favored segments will continue to feel the devastating effects of this change. To prevent new tragedies, countries responsible for change must contribute.

“If we do not act with a sense of urgency, these impacts will be irreversible. The effects of climate change are not felt by everyone in the same way. The poorest, women, indigenous people, the elderly, children, youth and migrants are most affected. Those who have historically contributed to the phenomenon must Global warming requires them to bear the greatest costs of combating it, and he said that this is a debt that has accumulated over two centuries.

The President again called on rich countries to take action that had been agreed upon in 2009, at the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties, in Copenhagen, Denmark. At that time, it was agreed to create a $100 million fund to finance actions to combat climate change, which was never implemented.

Enhancing aid – Acting President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin, will begin with the delegation on Sunday10/9, to Rio Grande do Sul to visit the areas affected by the heavy rains that hit the state and to reinforce the measures taken by the federal government since the beginning of the week. The transfer was announced on Friday 9/8 after a meeting with a number of ministers and secretaries. On the instructions of President Lula, a permanent committee was created to support Rio Grande do Sul.

“As I told the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, I instructed the government to be on alert. Immediately, Geraldo Alckmin and the ministers formed a permanent committee to support Rio Grande do Sul. We are working on all fronts. Machines, tractors, and the distribution of 20,000 food baskets.” And sanitary supplies for about 15,000 people. In addition, an amount of R$ 800 per person will be provided to the city councils to address the damage caused by the heavy rains,” President Lula stated on social media.

G20 The group consists of South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, the United States, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey and the European Union. . Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, the Netherlands and Singapore were also invited to attend this summit.

Together, this group represents about 80% of global GDP and 75% of international trade, as well as two-thirds of the population and 60% of the planet’s land. At the conclusion of the New Delhi summit, Sunday 10/9, Brazil will take over from India the task of chairing the G20 for the next period, which begins on December 1 of this year and continues until November 30, 2024.. During this period, the country is expected to organize more than 100 official meetings, including about 20 ministerial meetings, 50 high-level meetings and parallel events such as seminars.