In two appearances, da Silva laid out a vision for management of the world's largest rainforest, critical to fighting climate change, that was in stark contrast to that of President Jair Bolsonaro, whose administration witnessed some of the most rapid cutting of forests in decades.
Bolsonaro, who pushed development both in his pro-business rhetoric and policies, made several moves that weakened protections. For example, he appointed forest managers from the agribusiness sector, which opposes the creation of protected areas such as Indigenous territories and pushes for the legalization of land robbing.
The appearance at COP27 of da Silva, who made an extraordinary political comeback after being convicted of corruption and jailed a few years ago, lent both symbolic and practical weight to discussions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help developing nations confront the impacts of climate change. That’s because da Silva oversaw large reductions in deforestation as president between 2003 and 2010.
He argued that the U.N. climate summit in 2025 should be based in the Amazon, so “people who defend the Amazon and defend the climate get to know the region close up.” He said he would pitch the idea to U.N. leadership this week. Da Silva also had some strong words for world leaders. He mentioned a resolution made during the climate conference in 2009 that rich countries would contribute $100 billion a year to help developing nations adapt to the impacts of climate change. That effort has never been fully funded.
Despite da Silva’s lofty promises, the task for the incoming administration is huge. While many people, particularly environmentalists and officials at a climate conference like this one celebrate promises to protect the Amazon, Brazilian leaders have traditionally faced huge development pressures. Those pressures come from sectors like agriculture and mining, along with many people who live in the Amazon and feel that it’s for them to decide how the vast area is managed.