Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the G20 Ministerial Meeting – First Session - "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" – Bonn, 16 February, 2017

Minister Gabriel,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would to congratulate Germany for this initiative. This meeting enlarges the scope and the agenda of the G20. We are going through an unprecedented crisis, which puts at stake globalization and even some fundamental aspects of our liberal democracies.

At this point in time, G20 could not circumscribe its discussions to the stabilisation of financial flows and coordination of macroeconomic policies. We have to focus on the root causes of the current crisis.

One very important aspect of this crisis is the problem of economic migration. Possibly it would not be so serious if we had reached an agreement some years ago on the opening up of the markets of the rich countries to agricultural exports from developing countries.

Brazil is proud to have been one of the key actors in the conception of the 2030 Agenda, a process that was launched in 2012 during the Rio+20 Conference.

Sustainable development is based on the balance and integration of its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental.

I would like to stress the contribution of Brazil to sustainable development as a whole.

Brazil not only managed to dramatically reduce deforestation in the last decade and to reach 80% of renewable sources in its electricity mix. 

Brazil is today the second largest producer of agricultural and food products in the world. We achieved this position by emphasizing productivity and technology, with a major positive impact in the social, economic and environmental dimensions.

In 30 years the productivity of our agriculture increased by an average of 4% a year, as compared to 1,8% in the rest of the world. Nevertheless, Brazil managed to reduce its total agricultural area from around 914 million acres to around 815 million acres in the past two decades.

Sustainability is therefore a cornerstone of our internal policies. 61% of our territory has native forests. The world average if only 3%.

Ironically, many people still support protectionist barriers against agricultural products from Brazil based on the absurd claim that our agriculture endangers the environment.

We obtained those outstanding results without any kind of subsidies to our farmers. Our focus has been the development of a sound legal framework and, as I said before, the emphasis on technology and productivity.

Turning to our joint efforts, sustainable development must rely on two main elements: resources and institutions.

The G20 can play a pivotal role in the mobilization of all sources of financing – domestic and international, public and private.

The fight against climate change – to which Brazil is firmly committed - will also demand an enhanced partnership with different stakeholders: civil society in general, the private sector, and local authorities.   

The Paris Agreement lays the foundation for such partnership. It is important that we protect it as the cornerstone of the irreversible effort against climate change.

There is no more room for climate change skepticism. Our responsibility with future generations is at stake.

The G20 should send a strong signal on the irreversibility of the Agreement and the commitment of its members and the international community towards it.

Thank you very much.

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