President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently sent the Escazú Agreement to Congress for approval. The agreement has been gathering dust in Brazil‘s capital, Brasília, for years. It was signed by President Michel Temer in 2018, but neither he nor his successor, Jair Bolsonaro, sent it to Congress for approval. The Escazú Agreement is the first of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean and would help Brazil protect the environment and its defenders.
The agreement would increase transparency in environmental decision-making by promoting access to information and public participation. After years of policymaking that sidelined nongovernmental groups and sabotaged environmental law enforcement, the agreement would be a sea change that would empower these groups in Brazil.
The agreement would also require the Brazilian government to take measures to prevent, investigate, and impose sanctions for attacks against environmental defenders. This would be an invaluable commitment from a country where Indigenous people, small farmers, and other environmental activists have faced the onslaught of groups profiting from the destruction of the environment with impunity.
Brazil joined the Escazú Agreement as an observer during the second conference of the parties held in Buenos Aires. During the meeting, Brazil‘s environment minister, Marina Silva, reiterated the country’s commitment to stop all deforestation in the Amazon by 2030, to address climate change, and strengthen democracy.
The Brazilian parliamentarians now have the opportunity to provide their constituents with a treaty that would increase transparency, access to information, and stronger protection for Brazil‘s environmental patrimony. Congress should approve the Escazú Agreement to support more government transparency, access to information, and stronger protection for Brazil‘s environment.
This imperative move would arrive at a time when Brazil is under pressure to take action against deforestation. The Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. However, under the Bolsonaro administration, deforestation and fires have skyrocketed in the Amazon. Indigenous people and forest defenders have been subject to violence, killings, and harassment by land grabbers, illegal loggers, and cattle ranchers.
The Escazú Agreement is a step towards a more organized and sustainable future for Brazil‘s environment and the well-being of its people. The agreement will allow the country to regain its leadership and responsibility in environmental protection, which it had lost in recent years.
In conclusion, the approval of the Escazú Agreement is a crucial step for Brazil and the world to protect the environment, human rights, and democracy. It will require government transparency, promote access to information, and strengthen protections for environmental defenders. Its passage in Congress is essential to the long-term health and future of Brazil‘s environment.
<< photo by NOAA >>