Lula advocates zero deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has announced a plan that includes a series of measures to bring deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon to zero. This plan is considered fundamental to reduce global deforestation by 83% by 2030.

The package, once introduced by Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva, is now returning in a revised form.

The new version aims to build on and reinforce actions that have been successful in the past and improve on unsuccessful steps.

The plan includes more than 130 targets to be achieved by 2027, some with very specific targets, such as controlling 30% of the illegally deforested areas identified by the Prodes system (Programa de Cálculo de Deforestación de la Amazonia) of the National Institute for Spatial Research (Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales). Currently, it is estimated that only 6% of deforestation is under control.

Other goals include restoring 50% of illegally logged forests in federal conservation areas and increasing by 10% the number of trials for environmental offences heard in the first instance.

In addition, a mechanism will be developed to improve the traceability of agricultural products. Efforts will be made to transfer 29.5 million hectares of unallocated federal state forests and create three million hectares of protected areas, as reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

Announcing the plan, Lula said that on the sidelines of a summit of Amazonian presidents scheduled for August, he would propose the creation of an international cooperation centre for the protection of the Amazon.

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