Colombian President Ivan Duque and Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro want to pull together on action to fight climate change and protect the Amazon at the COP26 world climate conference.
“For sure, we will arrive united in Glasgow to address a very important issue that we all care about: our beloved, rich and coveted Amazon,’’ Bolsonaro said.
The Brazilian Amazon is experiencing its worst deforestation and fires in years.
Bolsonaro was accused of having created a mood that increasingly encourages farmers to use the area for agricultural purposes, which means burning down areas of forest.
Bolsonaro and his Colombian counterpart on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 insisted on the sovereignty of the Amazon and its neighbours.
They said they were committed not only to the energy transition and reducing emissions, but also to achieving carbon neutrality, Bolsonaro said.
The Amazon basin spans nine countries in South America and a distance the equivalent of Berlin to Baghdad.
A large part of the area, which was considered a CO2 reservoir, is in Brazil. The country, therefore, has a key role in climate protection.
Bolsonaro, however, sees the Amazon mainly for its untapped economic potential.
The COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, considered crucial to the fight against global warming, is scheduled for Oct. 31, to Nov. 12.
