Brazil’s Lula Urges Faster Steps on Global Warming
By Andre Soliani
Sept. 25 (Bloomberg) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for greater efforts to combat climate change and proposed a world conference on environmental issues for Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
“The most-industrialized countries should set the example,” Lula said in an address today to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “It is indispensable that they meet the commitments established in the Kyoto Protocol, but that is not enough; we need more ambitious goals after 2012.”
The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases, is due to expire in 2012. Lula proposed the meeting in Brazil to evaluate the achievements on the effort against global warming and to set “a new line of action.”
Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, has made a “notable effort” to cut back on its contribution to climate change, Lula said. He highlighted the country’s 50 percent reduction in deforestation in the Amazon region over recent years. The Amazon itself will now suffer because of global warming, he added.
Lula also pointed to the country’s experience in biofuels production as an example to be followed. “The world needs urgently a new energy source and biofuels are vital to construct an alternative,” he said.
Lula said Brazilian ethanol production will be marketed with a quality seal to assure it is produced with social and environmental standards.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=ae1BaNotDctU&refer=news
