President Biden promised on Thursday (21) $500 million to combat deforestation in Brazil and more than $1 billion to help developing countries move away from fossil fuels and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The donation needs to be approved by the U.S. Congress.
The $500 million would be delivered over five years and would make the United States one of the largest donors to the Amazon Fund, a conservation program. Biden called forests “key to our future” and said, “if we lose this natural resource, we won’t be able to easily recover it.”
But Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, overwhelmingly oppose international climate assistance and make it difficult for President Biden to fulfill his promises to help poorer nations deal with climate change.
Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, recalled that the head of the U.S. Forest Service recently said there is not enough funding to manage the forests in the country itself.
“Why are they now sending half a billion dollars of American taxpayers’ money to Brazil?” Barrasso asked. “The priority should be to take care of our own resources first, or better yet, spare taxpayers the pain of watching President Biden spread American treasure around the world to pursue his environmental agenda.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been working with the Biden administration on various issues, including climate change, despite Lula’s criticism of U.S. support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
The Amazon Fund was created by Brazil in 2008 and has financed efforts to curb deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest. Norway, the first and largest contributor to the fund, has donated over $1.2 billion. Germany recently announced a donation of $217 million.
The fund was suspended by Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who weakened environmental protections and saw average annual deforestation rates soar to levels not seen in over a decade.
Lula took office in January with a promise to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
The Amazon plays a crucial role in regulating water cycles, stabilizing the climate, and absorbing carbon dioxide. By one estimate, there are 150 billion to 200 billion metric tons of carbon trapped in the forest. However, as trees are cut down, parts of the forest emit more carbon dioxide than they absorb.
Source: The New York Times