Dubai – Brazilian vice president Hamilton Mourão gave a lecture on his country’s national policy for the Amazon’s sustainable development in the Terra auditorium at the Sustainability district of Expo 2020 Dubai, close to Brazil pavilion, on Saturday (2). Approximately 45 guests, including officials, diplomats, journalists and businesspeople, attended, the vice president’s office said, with restricted seats due to COVID-19.
Mourão chairs the National Council for the Legal Amazon, a multilateral agency created in February 2020 that gathers the countries of the Amazonian region. The council coordinates activities developed by 15 ministries aimed at fighting environmental crimes and deforestation, promoting land regularization, integrating information systems of different governmental agencies, fostering bio-based economy, and boosting public and private resources for the development of the region.
On the deforestation of the region, Mourão pointed out that the deforestation started to decrease in 2004 and posted the lower rates until 2016, when it started increasing again.
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The vice president stressed that the predatory use of resources of the Amazon Forest must be replaced with investments in the bioeconomy via public-private partnerships. He called for companies, investors, manufacturers and businesspeople to lead a new growth cycle in the Amazon, with a potential to create jobs and new opportunities for the region’s population. He added that the Brazilian government is committed to erradicating illegal deforestation in the country by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Brazilian agriculture is an important pillar to progress down this road, the vice president said. He believes technology is a major asset of the country with the support of researchers and private funding. He stressed the need to expand and strengthen the current productive process with traceability and certificates. Mourão emphasized the role of the bioeconomy, an industrial manufacturing model based on biological resources instead of fossil, non-renewable fuels.
The bioeconomy has the potential to further the production of foods, as well as fiber, power, environmental and ecosystem service delivery, green chemistry, and new inputs for the Brazilian farming. “For the bioeconomy to work, there are three factors. First, mapping the production chain. To this end, the participation of the private sector is key in research and development. Second, investing in infrastructure of rivers and ports, particularly in small towns. In this case, the public and private sectors can help. Lastly, attracting more investments to advance the bioeconomy,” he said.
The guests included authorities and diplomats from Brazil and the United Arab Emirates like Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park CEO Hussain Mohamed Al Mahmoudi, UAE Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs assistant minister Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Brazil’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi Fernando Igreja, Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) Business director Lucas Fiuza, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) president ambassador Osmar Chohfi, and the head of the ABCC international office Rafael Solimeo.
“Vice president Mourão gave an overview on the role of the Council for the Amazon that he chairs and listed several governmental policies that have been taken for the Amazon and made a call for the private initiative to enjoy the facilities and make productive investments,” Chohfi said.
The VP added that the World BioEconomy Forum 2021 will take place in the Amazonian region for the first time, in Belém, Brazil. The event will run from October 8 to 20 and will stream online.
After his lecture, Mourão visited Portugal pavilion, went to Brazil pavilion, then visited the UAE pavilion. “The UAE is a great friend of Brazil’s and our partnership is bound to blossom even further,” Mourão said, mentioning the visit of president Jair Bolsonaro to the Expo on the day of Brazil of the event on November 15 with a delegation of businesspeople and authorities.
On Sunday (3), the vice president participates in the Brazil-UAE Amazon Economic Sustainability Forum held by ABCC in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of the UAE, the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Embassy of Brazil in the UAE. The event starts at 10 am (GST) and feature businesspeople, investors, traders and representatives of companies from the UAE and Brazil and can be watched online. Registration is open.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
