BRASILIA: Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants Britain, France, the United States and others to donate to an international fund to protect the Amazon rainforest, a bulwark against climate change, Lula advisers said on Tuesday that the team approached Switzerland and Canada about contributing.
The Amazon FundAmazon Fund, started under leftist Lula's first administration from 2003 -- 2010, bankrolled conservation projects and counts Norway and Germany as its biggest donors.
Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro froze the fund, citing unspecified spending irregularities among fund-backed projects run by nongovernmental organizations, without providing evidence. The fund has 3 billion reais US $563.71 million that has been unpent for nearly 4 years.
Stopping deforestation in the Amazon, which absorbs large amounts of greenhouse gas, is part of Lula's plan for Brazil to regain leadership on climate change measures. Bolsonaro prioritized economic development over environmental protection and appointed climate sceptics as ministers.
Marina Silva, a former environment minister and adviser to Lula's transition team, said expanding the Amazon FundAmazon Fund would give Lula the resources to take immediate action to protect the environment when he takes office on January 1.
Lula will be working with a 2023 budget that was passed under Bolsonaro and so contributing to the fund and expanding the resources beyond what's already being done by Norway and Germany will be very useful for facing this difficult moment, Silva said.
She personally raised the issue with Britain, Canada, France, the United States, and Switzerland at the COP 27 UN climate summit in Egypt earlier in November.
The British embassy said it was studying the invitation to join the Amazon FundAmazon Fund.
On Monday, Izabella Teixeira, Lula's former environment minister and current climate change adviser, told Reuters she had met with Norwegian and German officials about restarting the fund.
Norway's Environment Minster Espen Barth Eide said at the UN gathering that he expected the fund to restart very soon after the 1st January. Teixeira confirmed that Britain, France and Switzerland had expressed interest in the fund.
The former minister said she had lunch with the British ambassador to Brazil and head of the UK Department for Environment, Food Rural Affairs Defra about new cooperation, including on the Amazon FundAmazon Fund.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to visit Brazil in the first half of 2023 to discuss potential cooperation before his country makes a decision on joining the fund.
The British Embassy said that its climate and environment ministers had been approached by Brazilian Senator Randolfe Rodrigues and Para state governor Helder Barbalho at the COP 27 summit about donating to the fund. Lula was accompanied by both officials during his visit to COP 27.
The U.S. and Canadian embassies did not respond to requests for comment. French and Swiss embassies didn't want to say anything.
Under Bolsonaro, the deforestation soared to a 15-year high, and he called for more farming and mining in the Amazon region.
Lula pledged to eliminate deforestation by using every tool at his disposal, including more money and officials, for enforcing environmental laws.