Brazil’s minister for the environment and climate change, Marina Silva, on Wednesday (22) denied that the decision by the national environmental authority Ibama to authorize state-controlled oil giant Petrobras to explore the Foz do Amazonas sedimentary basin – near the mouth of the Amazon river – was motivated by political influences.
The license to drill wells in block FZA-M-59, in the area of the Brazilian coast known as the Equatorial Margin, was granted last Monday (20).
“The decision by our Ibama officials was a technical one. And if there were any political considerations, they did not influence the quality of the work done by our technicians. Of course, we live in a political context, and it is legitimate for people to have aspirations, but in a republican government such as that of President Lula the decision was a technical one,” Minister Marina Silva said in an interview on Canal Gov.
She pointed out that Ibama’s strictness can be seen in a series of improvements that were required for Petrobras to obtain the license.
“One of them is the support or rescue base for what experts call oiled wildlife. In the initial project, the base was located in the city of Belém, 800 kilometers from where oil exploration was to take place. Ibama understood that this was unacceptable because the transport time for these animals was so long that there would be no chance of rescue,” she noted.
“Now we have a base in Belém and another base near the prospecting site, some 160 km away. In other words, all of Ibama’s requirements were highly necessary, and if it weren’t for Ibama’s rigor, a license would have been issued that would have harmed the environment and Brazil’s interests,” she added.
Contradiction
The minister acknowledges there is a contradiction in exploiting more oil reserves on the eve of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), to be held in Belém. Reducing the use of fossil fuels is central to slashing greenhouse gas emissions and combating global warming.
“There is a contradiction people often bring up, and rightly so. Society is debating this not only in Brazil, but around the world. We need to break our dependence on fossil fuels, because that’s what’s warming the Earth’s temperature. How can we do this? By planning fairly, so that everyone can make the transition,” she argued.
“And, of course, it’s not Ibama that makes this decision. The decision is made by the National Energy Policy Council,” she pointed out.
COP30
Minister Marina Silva also highlighted the efforts made by Brazil in gearing up for COP30, even in the face of a challenging geopolitical scenario, the accommodation crisis in Belém, and the difficulties in securing more concrete commitments from countries for climate mitigation and adaptation.
“I hope the summit can send a strong message that we are in a climate emergency and that we need to save not only the planet but also climate multilateralism itself from the point of no return,” she stated.
“My dream for the end of COP30 is that, when it’s over, we can leave an important legacy for our country – leading the deforestation agenda by example, being pioneers in the transition away from fossil fuel dependence, and having substantive discussions on adaptation and what to do about insufficient NDCs [nationally determined contributions]. The climate cannot be dealt with unless it is done jointly and in solidarity,” she added.
Thus far, only 62 countries out of 195 have formally submitted their nationally determined contributions, representing no more than 31 percent of global emissions.
