“It will be very difficult,” Marina Silva says of the challenges in the Environment Ministry.

Less than a month has passed since then Marina Silva He took over the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, appointed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party), the environmentalist already realizing that the environmental reality in Brazil was “much worse” than expected. Marina also indicated that to make up for lost time and protect AmazonInternational support will be needed.

Less than a month before Marina Silva’s ministry, Marina Silva has already said the scenario is “much worse” than expected – Image: Public Pictures/Disclosure/ND

Marina took up the ministry “with many hours of work.” But the environmentalist, who has four decades of political career, feels “grateful” to be back at the president’s side Lola To the Ministry of Environment, through which he achieved historic achievements for the country in combating deforestation between 2003 and 2008.

Even with victories on her resume, she’s back in the purse after Brazil broke negative records during Jair Bolsonaro’s government. The former president’s tenure has drawn criticism, including internationally, for its defense of commercial exploitation and mining in the Amazon.

“The reality is much worse than we expected because we had power outages,” Marina Silva said in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

The effort will not be insignificant because the dismantling that we have carried out in these four years has been very large. It worries me, but I’m sure we’ll have a third chance.”

Commitment to the environment

The minister ensures that Lula’s new government, with whom she has been at odds in the past, “puts the environmental agenda at the highest level of priority. It is a change compatible with what is happening in the world.”

According to her, the symbol of this commitment is to maintain the goal of no deforestation until 2030. “We realize that it will not be an easy path (…) but we will try to make up for lost time,” she added.

cross view

The minister explained that the plan to prevent deforestation is being re-established after it was practically paralyzed, and that the “Lula 3” government proposes a cross-sectional vision in which environmental policies will be addressed by the 17th. ministries.

Marina also explained that most deforestation occurs on public lands and in designated areas such as conservation units and indigenous lands.

To deal with this problem, new save units and lands A native It must be announced in the proceedings of the first 100 days of judgment.

Marina did not disclose numerical targets, but insisted that she would not give a truce to illegal deforestation and that she would work on an approach to sustainable alternatives in the Amazon. “We want to convince people that destroying the forest is not a good thing.”

We will invest in biotechnology, tourism, low carbon agriculture and other sources of income generation. Our goal is that through this joint action we can contribute to regaining control over measures to prevent and combat deforestation, in addition to working on regional regulation.

The minister was careful in her words and did not make far-fetched promises during the four years of rule.

“We will do our best in a short time. Populist governments can only say that they solve problems of this magnitude in four years. We hope to reach COP30 in 2025 as a country doing its duty,” he said, referring to the UN climate conference.

Vote for confidence

Marina Silva, 64, took part in the Davos forum, her first as a minister, where she said she received a warm welcome.

“We feel that Brazil has returned (…) It was an extension of reception to the election of President Lula. This extension is due to what we have done. We have been able to reduce deforestation by 83% for almost a decade.

These signs, according to her, allow her to start her administration at the head of the Ministry of Environment and Climate change With an international vote of confidence for Brazil’s ambitious goals.

“We know that, going forward, we’ll need to gain confidence in what we’re going to do.”

On the economic issue, she hailed the revitalization and expansion of the Amazon Fund, whose main donors have been Germany and Norway and which was crippled during part of Bolsonaro’s government by disagreements over the destination of resources.

“We are talking to the UK, France, Spain and all countries so that they can bring resources into the Amazon fund. We don’t want it to be just Germany and Norway.”

In addition to governments, the minister says talks are continuing with businesses and philanthropists, and that more resources than resources are expected.

“This cooperation with developed countries, which also opens up markets for our sustainable products (…) What is produced legally can be a source of income generation because the Amazon region is home to 25 million people.”

It also expects contributions on other fronts. He warned that “if developed countries do not reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, the Amazon will be destroyed in the same way.”