Lula says he will submit to Congress a provisional measure creating the legal status of the climate emergency

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed that he will send a provisional measure to Congress to create what he called a “legal statute for the climate emergency” to “establish the conditions to expand and accelerate public policies based on a national plan to address extreme climate risks.”

“I will submit a provisional measure to Congress creating the legal status of the climate emergency. Our goal is to establish the conditions to expand and accelerate public policies based on a national plan to address extreme climate risks. Our focus must be on adaptation and preparation to address these phenomena. Therefore, we will establish a climate authority and a scientific technical committee to support and coordinate the actions of the federal government with the states and city governments,” said the president.

Lula argued that “legal sustainability is necessary to be prepared to deal with this” and said that “events will become increasingly frequent.” The president committed to taking action to help Amazonas and “meet the basic needs” of the local population.

“The federal government will assume responsibility, together with the State and mayors, to do more to meet the basic needs of those people (of Amazonas),” he said.

The statement was given in an interview with North FM Radio this Wednesday, the 11th. Lula said he returned from Amazonas “willing to do more than we are doing” and praised the Army for having made it possible for him and his ministers to travel to the region.

“We had the extraordinary collaboration of our Army, which sent planes to transport the entire delegation. And I returned with the willingness and commitment to do more than we are doing. We need to look at this with more care. I took several ministers with me, eight ministers,” he said.

The president said that it is necessary to “take advantage of the moment when the Amazon is the most preserved part of the Earth so that we can receive money to take care of the people who live there.” He argued that rich countries should pay the countries in the Amazon for preserving the area.