For Brazil's new government, sustainability is one of the premises of its international relations

16-06-23

President Lula da Silva met this Monday in Brasilia with the head of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, with sustainability among the priority topics of the discussion. "The European Union strongly supports President Lula's environmental and climate agenda," she said before arriving in the capital. "I can only encourage all institutional actors in Brazil to work together to protect the Amazon, as well as the indigenous communities that live there," Von der Leyen said, adding that indigenous peoples "play a central role in the preservation and sustainable use of the forest and in the development of Brazil's potential as a green superpower", as quoted by the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. 

The EU representative's visit came just days after Lula and his environment minister, Marina Silva, announced an inter-ministerial plan to promote sustainable productive activities in the Amazon. The measures include limiting access to half of the illegally deforested area, demarcating three million hectares of conservation areas by 2027 and implementing large infrastructure projects that contribute to the goal of zero deforestation by 2030.  

As part of the federal government's policy, the president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion, Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, reiterated last week that sustainability policies are a priority for tourism. 

"The sustainability and climate change agenda is strategic for the reconstruction of Brazil's international image and to reinsert our country in a positive way in the international community; the market demands more and more commitment to this agenda," Freixo said during an international seminar on sustainable tourism held in Rio de Janeiro. According to the official, tourism generates employment alternatives in harmony with the environment, as opposed to activities that depredate the environment. 

With this premise, Embratur has on the agenda for the months of June and July three trips for journalists from the United States, Argentina and Chile. The tour will be to the states of Pará and Mato Grosso (Pantanal), with the aim of presenting to the specialised press some of its richest localities in terms of ecotourism, and whose itinerary includes contacts with indigenous communities.

"These are important issues not only for preservation, but also to benefit the local population, create a positive image for the destinations and, therefore, attract conscious and responsible travellers," concluded Freixo.