Brazil aims to reduce CO2 emissions by almost 40 per cent - Summary
Posted: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:35:03 GMT
By: dpa
Sao Paulo - Brazil plans to lower its emissions of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by nearly 40 per cent by 2020, the government said in Sao Paulo late Friday. The move by the world's fifth largest country comes ahead of December's crucial climate change talks in Copenhagen, and as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was in Paris for climate talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In Brasilia, Lula's Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff emphasised that the ambitious goal was voluntary. Brazil intends to emit around one billion fewer tons of CO2 by 2020 than it otherwise would have.
The actual target ranges from a CO2 reduction of at least 36.1 per cent up to 38.9 per cent. If the target is met, Brazil's emission levels in 2020 would be roughly equivalent to those of 1994, at around 1.7 billion tonnes annually.
Approximately one quarter of the target will be achieved through a drastic reduction of rainforest deforestation.
The South American nation also intends to reduce the rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by 80 per cent.
Jose Manuel Barroso,the head of the European Union executive, praised the Brazilian commitment, saying in a statement, "With this decision, Brazil is amongst the first of the major emerging countries to make such a pledge.
"This is a potentially decisive step to achieve a global deal in Copenhagen in December and to succeed in the fight against climate change."
Last week the government of Brazil announced that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest was at its lowest level for 21 years.
Posted: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:35:03 GMT
By: dpa
Sao Paulo - Brazil plans to lower its emissions of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by nearly 40 per cent by 2020, the government said in Sao Paulo late Friday. The move by the world's fifth largest country comes ahead of December's crucial climate change talks in Copenhagen, and as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was in Paris for climate talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In Brasilia, Lula's Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff emphasised that the ambitious goal was voluntary. Brazil intends to emit around one billion fewer tons of CO2 by 2020 than it otherwise would have.
The actual target ranges from a CO2 reduction of at least 36.1 per cent up to 38.9 per cent. If the target is met, Brazil's emission levels in 2020 would be roughly equivalent to those of 1994, at around 1.7 billion tonnes annually.
Approximately one quarter of the target will be achieved through a drastic reduction of rainforest deforestation.
The South American nation also intends to reduce the rate of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by 80 per cent.
Jose Manuel Barroso,the head of the European Union executive, praised the Brazilian commitment, saying in a statement, "With this decision, Brazil is amongst the first of the major emerging countries to make such a pledge.
"This is a potentially decisive step to achieve a global deal in Copenhagen in December and to succeed in the fight against climate change."
Last week the government of Brazil announced that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest was at its lowest level for 21 years.
