11/12/2023 – 19:29
The Brazilian government criticized the agreement proposed by the presidency of the 28th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28). This Monday, 11th, in Dubai, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, stated that the summit text is not in line with Brazil's position in defense of the elimination of fossil fuels.
Released this Monday, the proposal addresses the energy transition with the increase in renewable energy sources and the “reduction” of the production and consumption of fossil fuels “in a fair way” to reach zero emissions by 2050.
The new draft excluded options that had bolder language, with mentions of eliminating these energy sources. “Regarding the issue of fossil fuels, the language is not appropriate and we have many shortcomings. One of the shortcomings is that the issue of efforts to eliminate fossil fuels is not established there,” said Marina Silva.
She defended even greater clarity regarding the differentiation between developed and developing countries. Brazil has advocated that rich countries lead the elimination of fossil fuels.
Brazil's position on the text was expected, especially after contradictory signals sent by the Brazilian government throughout the conference. In his speech at the beginning of COP28, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended a reduction in countries' dependence on fossil fuels. One day earlier, however, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, announced that Brazil would join OPEC+, a group created by the Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries.
Furthermore, Brazil is seen as an important negotiator due to its historical role in the environmental agenda and because it is the host country for COP-30, in 2025, when countries are expected to review the commitments made in the Paris Agreement, in 2015.
Brazil defends that the text of the global balance mentions the need to maintain the global temperature at a limit of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But, for the country, although the text addresses this point, the means to achieve it are not available.
“In the analysis we carried out, we have a text that clearly states that ambitions must be aligned with 1.5°C, but we did not find clarity and equivalence in relation to the energy issue. Therefore, the two things need to be properly aligned”, stated Marina.
The minister also said the Brazilian government is trying to change the deadlines established in the text. Negotiation meetings will continue into the night. Initially, the forecast was that COP-28 would end this Tuesday, 12th, but negotiators no longer believe in this deadline.
“Another issue that we consider important is deadlines. Referring to the issue of energy until 2050 is yet another incompatibility with the 1.5°C mission. So, this is another issue that we are working on,” he said.
Marina avoided saying what the exact language proposed by Brazil would be, but said that what the country considers as an appropriate text should be more ambitious in terms of deadline and elimination.
Brazil's chief negotiator at COP-28, ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, stated that the process is polarized, but the country will try to improve the proposal. “The battle is at both ends,” he said.
From the beginning of the conference there are two visible blocks. On the one hand, island countries, which are at risk of disappearing due to climate change and advocate the end of the use of fossil fuels. On the other, oil countries, led by Saudi Arabia, are trying to block any progress on the issue.
*The reporter traveled at the invitation of the Climate and Society Institute
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