1 of 1 President Lula and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / Presidency of the Republic President Lula and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / Presidency of the Republic
In his opening speech at the G20 summit this Saturday (9) in New Delhi, India, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) called on rich countries to finance the fight against climate change, especially for those in development .
“Since the Copenhagen COP, rich countries are expected to provide developing countries with $100 billion a year in new and additional climate finance. That promise was never fulfilled.”
“It will do the rich world no good to brag about reducing carbon emissions at future COPs if responsibility continues to be shifted to the Global South. There is no shortage of resources,” said the Brazilian president.
He added: “Last year the world spent $2.24 trillion on weapons. This mountain of money could flow into sustainable development and climate protection.”
Lula arrived in New Delhi this Friday (8th) for the 18th edition of the G20 Summit of Heads of State and Government, which runs until Sunday (10th).
Brazil will chair the G20 for the first time since the group was founded in 1999. The mandate runs from December this year to November 2024. Rio de Janeiro will host the group’s summit next year.
Environment, hunger and war in Ukraine
Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said shortly before the president’s departure that Lula would address issues such as sustainable development and the fight against inequality at the G20 summit. The president must also strengthen his defense of ending the war between Ukraine and Russia.
The meeting schedule in India includes three thematic meetings, two on Saturday and one on Sunday, with the following topics:
- Preserving the planet: green and sustainable development, environment and climate, sustainable lifestyles, energy transition and “global net zero”;
- Protecting our people: inclusive growth, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), health, education and womenled development;
- Promoting a better future: technological change, digital public infrastructure, multilateral reforms and the future of work and employment.
When he looked through the hatch of his ship and saw our planet in all its fullness for the first time, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin couldn’t hide the magic and said: “The Earth is blue.”
Seven decades later, photos sent by Chandrayaan3 that India recently landed at the moon’s south pole leave no doubt: Seen from above, the Earth is still blue and beautiful.
However, the lack of commitment to the environment is leading us to an unprecedented climate emergency.
Global warming is changing precipitation patterns and raising sea levels.
Droughts, floods, storms and fires are becoming increasingly common, threatening food and energy security.
In Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul was recently hit by a hurricane that left thousands homeless and claimed dozens of lives.
If we do not act with the necessary urgency, these effects will be irreversible.
Not everyone feels the effects of climate change equally.
Those most affected are the poorest, women, indigenous people, the elderly, children, young people and migrants.
Those who have historically contributed the most to global warming will face the greatest costs of combating it.
This is a debt that has accumulated over two centuries.
Since the Copenhagen COP, rich countries are expected to provide developing countries with $100 billion a year in new and additional climate finance.
This promise was never fulfilled.
It will do the rich world no good to brag about reducing its carbon emissions at future COPs if responsibility continues to be shifted to the Global South.
There is no shortage of resources. Last year the world spent $2.24 trillion on weapons. This mountain of money could be channeled into sustainable development and climate protection.
In Brazil we are doing our part.
The protection of the forest and the sustainable development of the Amazon are among the priorities of my government.
In the first 8 months of this year, we reduced deforestation by 48% compared to the same period last year.
A month ago we hosted the Amazon Summit and launched a new agenda for cooperation between the countries that are part of this biome.
We have also deepened dialogue with other countries with tropical forests in Africa and Asia to articulate common positions across the Amazon, Congo and BorneoMekong basins.
Don’t just look at satellite photos. Under every tree there is a woman, a man and a child.
Renewable energy, biofuels, sociobioeconomy, green industry and lowcarbon agriculture must create jobs and income, including for local and traditional communities.
The G20 must advance these efforts, respecting the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and valuing all three Rio 92 Conventions: climate, biodiversity and desertification.
The best way to be ambitious is to ensure the success of the global assessment exercise of the Paris Agreement at COP28 and the negotiation of new quantitative targets.
To complement these efforts, we will launch a Global Mobilization Task Force on Climate Change during our G20 Presidency.
We want to reach COP 30 in 2025 with a climate agenda that balances mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and financing, ensuring the sustainability of the planet and the dignity of people.
We hope to be able to count on everyone’s commitment. So that the beauty of the earth is not just a photo from space.