The Minister of the Environment, Joaquim Leite, announced this Monday (1) a new target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The information was disclosed during the opening of Brazilian participation in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland. 
“Today we present a new, more ambitious climate target, going from 43% to 50% by 2030; and a carbon neutral target by 2050, which will be formalized during COP26”, he said. Leite participated in the opening of the summit via simultaneous transmission, at an event held in Brasília, at the headquarters of the National Confederation of Industry.
According to the minister, the conference marks “a transition from the debate on climate promises to the creation of green jobs.” Leite also argued that Brazil has acted as an articulator of the debate.
“We held previous bilateral meetings with more than 60 countries, acting as an articulating country, seeking dialogue and points of convergence. We also conducted dozens of technical meetings, collecting input that culminated in a negotiation strategy to defend the national interest and position Brazil as a fundamental country in this new global green agenda”, he said.
green growth
In a speech recorded for the conference, President Jair Bolsonaro stated that “Brazil is a green power” and argued that the country is a solution to current problems.
“Brazil is a green power. We have the greatest biodiversity on the planet, the largest and richest forest cover and one of the largest ocean areas. In the fight against climate change, we have always been part of the solution, not the problem,” he said.
Bolsonaro also highlighted that the National Program for Green Growth, released last week, “brings environmental concerns to the center of the economic agenda.” The initiative aims to combine the reduction of carbon emissions, the conservation of forests and the rational use of natural resources with the generation of green jobs and economic growth.
“By promoting a ‘green economy’, the program will guide actions to protect and conserve the environment through economic incentives, directing resources and attracting investments. With this, we are going to favor actions and projects for forest conservation, rational use of natural resources, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and, above all, the generation of “green jobs”, defended Bolsonaro.
COP26
The 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change starts today and runs through November 12th. The meeting will bring together more than 190 countries to discuss more energetic measures against global warming.
