Brazil says Amazon deforestation falls 71% as Lula government rebuilds environmental protections

Detailed summary

Environment Minister Joao Paulo Ribeiro Capobianco tells COP31 in Antalya that Brasilia is prioritising forest conservation, climate finance and international cooperation over revisiting the policies of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil has moved beyond the environmental policies of former president Jair Bolsonaro and is focused on protecting the Amazon rainforest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Joao Paulo Ribeiro Capobianco has told Anadolu during COP31 in Türkiye.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN climate conference in Antalya, Capobianco said the government was concentrating on restoring environmental protections and accelerating climate action rather than confronting the former administration.

"We don't need to fight against Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is in the past. We are in the future," he said.

Bolsonaro's presidency drew widespread criticism from environmental groups and Indigenous communities over policies seen as encouraging economic development in the Amazon at the expense of forest protection.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who returned to office in January 2023, pledged to reverse that approach by strengthening environmental enforcement, tackling illegal deforestation and protecting indigenous territories.

Asked whether Brazil might pursue legal action against Bolsonaro over environmental damage during his presidency, Capobianco said the government's priority was to rebuild protections.

"Our decision was to restart the process, to change everything, to protect the forest," he said.

Capobianco said Brazil had made significant progress in reversing forest loss since Lula returned to power, citing a 71 percent reduction in deforestation in the Amazon.

He added that reducing forest loss across the country's other ecosystems could prevent approximately 560 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

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