Brazil optimistic about COP 21 deals

Brazil's government is optimistic at the prospect of closing an international agreement during the 21st United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 21), to be held in Paris between November 30 and December 11 with 196 countries. The comment was made Tuesday (June 30) by the Head of the Division on Climate, Ozone and Chemical Safety of the Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty), Everton Lucero, during a debate on climate change and water resources management at the Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro.

“Climate change, transition, and lower emissions are increasingly central issues to development. That's something we hadn't seen in 20 years,” said Lucero, who will be in the Brazilian delegation at COP 21. He stressed that Brazil plays an important role in the event, not only because of its rich biodiversity, but as a global facilitator toward a common solution that suits all represented countries. One of the main goals of the event is to prevent a temperature rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius as a result of global warming.

The diplomat said the country has even brought forward concrete proposals for consensus toward an effective, ambitious, and fair deal. He said he believed in the advancement of the agreements made at the UN Conference on Environment and Development – Rio 92, which laid the grounds for the Climate Convention three years later.

“COP-21 is meant not as a finishing line, but a starting point. We want the resulting agreement to be lasting and lead countries to gradually transition into a low-carbon economy,” the diplomat said.

Translated by Mayra Borges

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