At the 79th UN General Assembly High-Level Segment on Tuesday, September 23, 2024, Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, committed to deliver a 1.5-aligned climate goal, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
In a reaction, environment watchdog, 350.org, has welcomed President Lula’s commitment to delivering a 1.5°C-aligned Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) later this year as a crucial step towards climate action.
At the same time, 350.org expressed grave concerns that Brazil’s NDC will sideline the country’s significant fossil fuel production expansion and only address fossil fuel consumption.
“Science demands a halt to fossil fuel expansion,” submitted the group.
Brazil is set to become the fourth-largest oil producer globally, an untenable position for a nation seeking climate leadership.
As the host of this year’s G20, and next year’s COP30, observers believe that Brazil must lead by example and set a precedent for other countries by presenting ambitious NDCs that outline the country’s plan to transition away from fossil fuels and deliver renewable energy fairly for all.
Ilan Zugman, 350.org Latin America Managing Director, said: “Lula went in the right direction in his speech, but expanding fossil fuel production while claiming climate leadership is incompatible with the 1.5°C pathway. As long as the Brazilian government insists on extracting oil and gas, especially in the Amazon, talking about decarbonising the economy and a fair energy transition is a pure exercise in rhetoric.
“Lula is right in calling on rich countries to fulfill their obligation to finance mitigation and adaptation actions in countries of the Global South, but without cleaning up Brazil’s fossil fuel expansion plans, President Lula undermines his own credibility as a climate leader and puts the 1.5 threshold at risk.
“Lula has several weeks to ensure that Brazil will present ambitious national climate goals that stop the expansion of oil and gas extraction in the country, especially in the Amazon, and encourage a just transition to renewable energy.”
