Lula’s ambitious plans to save the Amazon clash with reality
The Brazilian president faces resistance from Congress, the state oil company and agribusiness
When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s election last year, climate activists the world over breathed a sigh of relief. His right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had gutted the environmental agency, turned a blind eye to illegal gold-mining and undermined indigenous rights. Lula, by contrast, promised to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon and lead international efforts to halt climate change. On June 5th the left-winger outlined an ambitious plan to stop illegal deforestation in the Amazon by the end of the decade. “There should be no contradiction between economic growth and environmental protection,” he said. Yet Lula’s green agenda is suffering setbacks.
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This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Unsustainable”
From the June 17th 2023 edition
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