Governors from all regions of Brazil have been meeting during the UN Climate Conference (COP27), in Egypt, to articulate alliances. One of them has been signed with the objective of fighting climate change. The idea is to launch the Green Brazil Consortium soon, as announced by the governor of Espírito Santo, Renato Casagrande, who has been leading the "Governors for Climate" movement.
"At this COP, we will release a letter of commitment, the result of this joint effort we have been making in favor of climate. We believe that we have to be able to transform our natural wealth into prosperity for the Brazilian population and this is what we want with the Green Brazil Consortium, besides protecting the environment", Casagrande explained. The governor also emphasized that the path to sustainable development, in his vision, goes through a transition of the energy matrix. "We have much to gain in the economic area. Brazil can be a great supplier of renewable energy," he believes.
According to the governor, so far 24 states have agreed to participate in the group and the consortium should be an instrument to pursue the goals of the Paris Agreement, which stipulates a series of measures to contain global warming.
States' protagonism is maintained in the new federal government
The governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, was one of the participants in the Governors for Climate Meeting, held on Monday (14) at COP 27, representing the Amazon region. Barbalho recalled the history of the states' protagonism: "The Brazilian subnational governments, throughout these three years and 11 months, have been obliged and called upon by the civil society and by the world to speak out and demonstrate this country's commitments".
With the Consortium for Climate, Barbalho evaluates that it is a way of joining forces to show the Brazilian commitment to the agenda. "We want to work together with a single focus: to show the world that Brazil has environmental responsibility, with the climate agenda and with forest preservation", he said. "Our country wants to discuss the standing forest, but one that can produce with its biodiversity and that values and honors the knowledge of traditional communities," she added.
The elected federal deputy (SP) and former Minister of Environment, Marina Silva, was also present and recognized the role that state governors had during the Covid-19 pandemic of executing public policies independent of the federal government to prevent further damage to the population at that time. "The governors were true giants of the 'blackout' of public policies in health. And that is an example of the strength they have," she said.
According to her, this kind of effort should now be replicated to deal with environmental issues. "Now, this protagonism will not disappear - actually is the opposite, (the idea) is to create a synergy, for example, between a national deforestation plan and a state plan", she clarified, referring to the beginning of the mandate of Brazil's new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
