WASHINGTON – President Biden on Thursday will pledge $500 million over five years to fight deforestation in Brazil, a White House official said, a move that would make the United States one of the biggest donors to the global Amazon fund.
But the pledge would require approval in Congress, where Republicans are overwhelmingly opposed to international climate aid and have made it difficult for President Biden to deliver on his promises to help poorer nations deal with climate change.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has worked with the Biden administration on several issues, including climate change, despite Mr Lula’s criticism of US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The Amazon Fund, a conservation program established by Brazil in 2008, funds efforts to halt deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest. Norway, the fund’s first and largest contributor, has donated more than $1.2 billion. Germany recently announced a $217 million donation.
But the fund was suspended under Mr Lula’s far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who weakened environmental protections and saw the annual average rate of deforestation skyrocket, reaching levels the country hadn’t seen in more than a decade.
In the Amazon rainforest
Mr. Lula took office in January with a pledge to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. But his government got off to a rocky start. Preliminary data suggests that deforestation rates have continued to rise as his government tries to rebuild environmental protections.
The Amazon plays an important role in regulating water cycles, stabilizing the climate and absorbing carbon dioxide. According to one estimate, 150 to 200 billion tons of carbon are trapped in the forest. But when trees are felled, parts of the forest now emit more carbon dioxide than they absorb.
The President is expected to announce the pledge at a meeting of representatives of some of the world’s largest economies in Washington. The White House said in a fact sheet that the pledge “is related to Brazil’s renewed commitment to end deforestation by 2030.” The US is expected to ask other countries to contribute to the fund as well.
“That’s a lot of money,” said Suely Araújo, a policy expert at the Climate Observatory, an environmental group in Brazil. “It’s a sign of confidence in the new government that they can pull this off and make efforts to control deforestation.”
“I really hope that Congress will agree to this,” Ms. Araújo said. “It’s really needed for what Brazil needs to do.”
Mr. Biden has pledged to provide $11.4 billion annually in international climate aid through 2024, but is nowhere near that goal. Last year, Congress approved just $1 billion – despite Democratic control of both the House and Senate.
“We’re working as hard as we can to meet that goal and deliver on the president’s promise,” said Sarah Ladislaw, special assistant to Mr. Biden and senior director for climate and energy on the White House National Security Council.
With Republicans now controlling the House of Representatives and Democrats holding a narrow majority in the Senate, it will be an uphill battle to get approval for additional funding for things like the Amazon Fund.
But in at least one instance, the Biden administration has found a way to bypass Republican opposition.
Last year, Republicans cut funding the government pledged to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations-led program designed to help poor countries transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and build resilience to climate disasters. The government is expected to deliver $1 billion to the fund Thursday, tapping into discretionary funds within the State Department, according to an administration official.