Thomas Gould
Question:509. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagements that the European Union has had with Brazil on record deforestation in the Amazon. [37663/22]
View answerTuesday, 12 July 2022
Questions (509)
Written answers
The issues of environmental protection and deforestation are key priorities for the EU in its relations with Brazil, and the EU Delegation in Brazil, as well as the Irish Embassy in-country, are actively engaged on the issue of deforestation.
I am aware that during his visit to Brazil in November 2021, for example, EU High Representative Borrell met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Environment Minister Joaquim Leite, and Foreign Minister Carlos França, among others, and that a wide range of issues was discussed at these engagements, including the need for close cooperation to address challenges including climate change and the environment. In spring 2022, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius, visited the region, including the Brazilian Amazon, and discussed EU environmental concerns with Minister Leite. The situation of indigenous, environmental and human rights defenders in Brazil is also regularly raised by the EU through the EU-Brazil mechanisms for political dialogue and cooperation, including by the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, in December, and again by Commissioner Sinkevicius during his recent visit.
The EU has stressed that fighting climate change and the loss of biodiversity must be a top priority for both the EU and the Latin America and Caribbean region. Before COP26 in 2021, the EU announced a €1 billion contribution to the Global Forests Finance Pledge, as well as a new edition of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, which will support LAC partners with €140 million to achieve their commitments under the Paris Agreement. This comes in addition to the EU’s planned multi-country Team Europe initiative focusing on the Amazon basin, which aims to address root causes of key challenges affecting the region, including deforestation and forest degradation. Continuous engagement with civil society is another important component of the EU’s ongoing work in this regard.
Ireland’s Embassy in Brasilia also remains actively engaged on issues of climate and environmental protection in Brazil, including through engagement with civil society organisations and support to indigenous communities in the Amazon region. In May 2022, the Irish Ambassador to Brazil visited the city of Manaus and met with the Secretary of the Environment of the State of Amazonas. The Irish Embassy also participated in an EU Delegation-led demarche on Brazil ahead of COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 to encourage stronger action on climate change, and again earlier this year ahead of COP15 on Biodiversity, calling for increased global ambition on biodiversity objectives, while addressing climate goals and Sustainable Development Goals.
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