Lula da Silva addressed the UN Conference of the parties on Climate Change

Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged to "relentlessly fight" environmental crime in the country during his speech to the Conference of the Parties (COP27). To achieve this, he again mentioned the creation of a Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, as well as the strengthening of law enforcement organisations and environmental monitoring systems.

"We are going to set up a Ministry of Indigenous Affairs so that they themselves can submit proposals to the government to guarantee them peace," he said, commenting on the possibility of these communities using their natural resources to produce medicines and other environmentally friendly products.

Lula also mentioned investments in the country's energy transition to wind and solar power, biofuels and the production of green hydrogen, a 100% renewable fuel that is increasingly attracting interest from other countries.

In addition, Lula said there is an urgent need for financial mechanisms to compensate for the losses and damages caused by climate change. He reiterated an earlier suggestion that Brazil, through the state of Amazonia, should host COP30 in 2025 and invited South American countries to meet to discuss "in a sovereign manner the integrated development of the region with social and climate responsibility".

Speaking at the Blue Zone, a United Nations (UN) zone at CO27, the president-elect commented on the effects of climate change, which affect all countries. Among the consequences, he cited increasing tornadoes and tropical storms, fires around the world, and droughts and floods that have affected Brazil.

He also referred to the damage done to poor countries. "Despite being the continent with the lowest emissions, Africa suffers from extreme weather events. Sea level rise could be a disaster for Egyptians in the Nile Delta. Island countries are in danger of extinction. The climate emergency affects everyone, although its effects are most visible among the poorest," Lula said.

The President-elect reiterated the importance that all parties to the Conference of the Parties implement the agreements reached at previous meetings. He recalled the commitments made at COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009 - the richest countries pledged $100 billion a year from 2020 to help least developed countries tackle climate change, as reported by Rede TV!, partner of the TV BRICS.

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