Brasília – The government of Brazil has postponed to the 14th of November its definition of the Brazilian proposal to be taken to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Copenhagen, in December. The government wants more time to detail the measures to be taken by sectors like agriculture and ironworks to lower national emissions of greenhouse gas. Up to the moment, the only consensual proposal is an 80% reduction in deforestation of the Amazon by 2020.
According to the government’s calculations, with the lower deforestation of the Amazon, Brazil would cut emissions by around 580 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. “That is the same as the reduction proposed by the United States if the law is passed by their Senate,” compared the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim.
The control of deforestation at that level would be enough to lower national emissions by around 20%. Reaching the final figure, the government should calculate the possible reduction in other sectors. The total of other measures should be between 17% and 20%.
“We are going to take measures in the areas of energy, agriculture, smelting and deforestation in other biomes,” listed Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff. “With our joint efforts we are going to reach significant figures. Brazil is prepared to make the greatest effort possible for the Copenhagen meeting to be successful,” she added.
Dilma said that the proposal to be announced in coming days will not necessarily bring figures for lower emissions in each sector. “There will be general lines. We are not going to present the figures, but the measures. This is mainly due to the fact that we are doing it voluntarily, as we find it important for Brazil to maintain its characteristics as a sustainable nation.”
*Translated by Mark Ament
