Minister highlights the Government's policies for coping with climate change

Maiesse Gramacho

Brazil is not going to stop its development by taking measures to curb climate change, such as the emission of greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming. The evaluation was made by the minister of the Environment, Carlos Minc, at the Seminar on Public Policies and Climate Change, held in Brasilia on Tuesday, November 10.

According to the minister, "Brazil is one of the few countries that can produce more and emit less", thanks to the natural resources it has and the sustainable alternatives that can arise from them. Minc said that the goals of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that should be taken to Copenhagen in December, to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP-15) will not compromise the country's growth.

Carlos Minc highlighted the meeting that took place on Monday (November 9), in São Paulo, between President Lula and the ministers involved in the development of the Brazilian proposal for COP-15. "It was decided that Brazil will set a very strong target of 40% reduction in estimates of emissions for the year 2020", he said.

The minister explained that 20% is related to the reduction  of deforestation in the Amazon and the other half will come from initiatives to be implemented in sectors such as agriculture. "Actions such as the integration between cattle raising and plantation and the recovery of degraded lands can significantly help in reducing carbon emissions by the agricultural sector", he said.

On deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, Minc said that in the coming days President Lula will announce data that will show the smallest rate of deforestation in the past 20 years.