Latest news with #climate summit
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Brazil lawmakers gut environmental licensing ahead of UN climate summit
Brazil's congress passed legislation on Thursday loosening environmental licensing, a potential blow to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he seeks to burnish his country's green credentials before hosting the United Nations global climate summit, COP30, this year. The bill passed with broad support in congress where a powerful agri-business caucus holds huge influence, over criticism from environmentalists, members of Lula's cabinet, and European Union lawmakers who wrote to Brazil's lower house speaker last month asking him not to put the bill to a vote. The vote in the lower house tallied 267 votes for and 116 against the bill. Brazilian business leaders have criticized environmental permitting as a barrier to development. While many environmentalists agree that the process needed to be reformed, they argue that the approach taken by congress is likely to cause far more harm than good. "Brazil will completely misalign itself with the best international standards," said Natalie Unterstell, head of the Talanoa Institute, an environmental think-tank. The bill loosens several permitting requirements. For example, it allows projects considered to have a small- or mid-sized impact, such as dams and basic sanitation infrastructure, to be built without environmental permits. Environment Minister Marina Silva has said the bill is a major setback that "dismantles" licensing in Brazil, although some members of Lula's cabinet had earlier expressed support for the bill. Canada's Liberal government has introduced similar legislation, Bill C-5, that allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big projects deemed to be in the national interest such as mines, ports and pipelines by sidestepping existing laws. Prime Minister Mark Carney called a summit this week with First Nations leaders, who have expressed concerns the bill. WATCH | PM speaks ahead of First Nations summit: Carney says he's 'principally here to listen,' ahead of First Nations summit on Bill C-5 2 hours ago Pressure to drill The Brazilian bill was passed as the country's environmental agency Ibama faces intense pressure to issue a licence for state-run oil firm Petrobras to drill for oil off the coast of the Amazonian state of Amapa, a region with a fragile ecosystem that is also seen as Brazil's most promising oil frontier. The project, which Petrobras considers its best shot to replenish reserves, has been waiting for a permit for over a decade. The wait drew ire from senate head Davi Alcolumbre, who hails from Amapa and has been pushing for the development of the oil industry in the region, one of the poorest in Brazil. Alcolumbre put the bill to a vote over protests from government officials and added what some environmentalists consider its most radical amendment, giving the federal government power to fast-track projects it considers strategic. Lula can still veto parts or the whole bill, sending it back to congress, which could strike vetoes down. Its legality could also be questioned at the Supreme Court, which has intervened on other contentious environmental bills put forward by congress.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil lawmakers gut environmental permitting ahead of COP30 summit
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's Congress passed legislation on Thursday loosening environmental licensing, a potential blow to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he seeks to burnish his country's green credentials before hosting the United Nations global climate summit, COP30, this year. The bill passed with broad support in Congress where a powerful agribusiness caucus holds huge influence, over criticism from environmentalists, members of Lula's cabinet, and European Union lawmakers who wrote to Brazil's lower house speaker last month asking him not to put the bill to a vote. The vote in the lower house tallied 267 votes for and 116 against the bill. Brazilian business leaders have criticized environmental permitting in Brazil as a barrier to development. While many environmentalists agree that the process needed to be reformed, they argue that the approach taken by Congress is likely to cause far more harm than good. "Brazil will completely misalign itself with the best international standards," said Natalie Unterstell, head of the Talanoa Institute, an environmental think tank. The bill loosens several permitting requirements. For example, it allows projects considered to have a small or mid-sized impact, such as dams and basic sanitation infrastructure, to be built without environmental permits. Environment Minister Marina Silva has said the bill is a major setback that "dismantles" licensing in Brazil, although some members of Lula's cabinet had earlier expressed support for the bill. The bill was passed as Brazil's environmental agency Ibama faces intense pressure to issue a license for state-run oil firm Petrobras ( opens new tab to drill for oil off the coast of the Amazonian state of Amapa, a region with a fragile ecosystem that is also seen as Brazil's most promising oil frontier. The project, which Petrobras considers its best shot to replenish reserves, has been waiting for a permit for over a decade. The wait drew ire from Senate head Davi Alcolumbre, who hails from Amapa and has been pushing for the development of the oil industry in the region, one of the poorest in Brazil. Alcolumbre put the bill to a vote over protests from government officials and added what some environmentalists consider its most radical amendment, giving the federal government power to fast-track projects it considers strategic. Lula can still veto parts or the whole bill, sending it back to Congress, which could strike vetoes down. Its legality could also be questioned at the Supreme Court, which has intervened on other contentious environmental bills put forward by Congress.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Brazil tackles COP30 hotel costs, under pressure from developing nations
SAO PAULO, July 16 (Reuters) - Brazil assured worried governments on Wednesday it has organized enough rooms to accommodate the tens of thousands of people crowding into the rainforest city of Belem for the United Nations climate summit in November, even as its listings still fell short of the country's own projections for attendance. Valter Correia, Brazil's special secretary for the summit, known as COP30, laid out a plan to prioritize the needs of developing countries and island nations whose representatives expressed outrage during a conference in Bonn, Germany, that Belem's sky-high accommodation prices might exclude them from COP30. "What we are guaranteeing is that everyone can come at accessible prices," he said. "We can't leave small countries, countries that most suffer with issues related to climate change, out of this thing, it would be absolutely unthinkable." Environmental activists from around the globe had eagerly awaited Brazil's turn to host the climate summit after three years in which the conference was held in countries without full freedom for public demonstrations. Brazil chose Belem for the climate talks to focus attention on the world's disappearing rainforests, but civil society groups have been warning for months that a lack of accommodations in the Amazonian city would create barriers for many. Authorities have already identified more than 30,000 rooms available in the city, Correia said, compared to an estimate of 20,000 that United Nations officials told their Brazilian counterparts were required to accommodate delegations, journalists and observers. Still, the figure falls short of the demand from the 45,000 attendees at COP30 that Correia had projected earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that he expects Belem to meet additional demand as more private homes, hotel rooms, and alternative options, such as repurposed schools, become available. The United Nations climate change office, UNFCCC, declined a request to confirm the number. This week, Brazil also launched a booking website with 1,500 rooms for a group of 98 developing countries and island nations, priced between $100 and $220 a night, Correia said. Another 1,000 rooms will be added to the platform soon, open to all delegations, he added, with prices of up to $600 a night. The platform will later be open to everyone else. Brazil also said it has signed a contract for 3,900 cabins in two cruise ships that will park at the port city for the COP. Correia said he also expects civil society groups to find adequate accommodations. While his office is fighting price gouging, he added, it won't be able to offer everyone rooms at lower prices.
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Brazil Seeks to Calm Fears It Will Run Out of Beds for COP30 Climate Summit
With less than four months to go until the COP30 climate summit in the Amazon city of Belém, Brazil's government is trying to reassure those planning to attend that there'll be enough places to sleep. 'We will have enough properties, we will have enough rooms for everyone, there's no doubt about that,' said Valter Correia, Brazil's special secretary for COP30. 'We just need to find the right prices for each audience.'
