RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 13 (IPS) - Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon jungle was reduced more than expected between August 2008 and July 2009 - 45 percent compared to the previous 12 months, the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported.During that period, 7,008 square kilometres of forest were cleared, according to the Deforestation Monitoring Project, which uses satellite images. In the previous 12-month period, 12,911 square kilometres of jungle were lost. The results announced Thursday, which reflected the biggest annual decline since the government started monitoring deforestation in 1988, are a positive development that Brazil will present at the December global climate change summit in Copenhagen, said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's chief of staff, Dilma Rousseff. At the summit, the government will present ambitious voluntary targets for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. With respect to deforestation, which is responsible for over half of Brazil's emissions, the rate will be cut by 80 percent by 2020, compared to the 1996-2005 average of 19,500 square kilometres. The figures presented Thursday reflect exemplary compliance with the government's targets for fighting deforestation, which has steadily declined since 2004, the year after Lula first took office.
SAO PAULO, Nov 14 (AFP) Nov 14, 2009 Brazil said Friday it would offer a "voluntary" cut of at least 36 percent in greenhouse gas emissions at the UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen next month.The goal could see carbon reductions of up to 39 percent and is set against Brazil's forecast level of emissions in 2020.The target was presented by Environment Minister Carlos Minc and government chief minister Dilma Rousseff at a news conference in Sao Paulo following talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.Brazil is the fourth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, largely because of carbon released through deforestation of its vast Amazon forest by ranchers and farmers.Rousseff said the country's target is between 36.1 percent and 38.9 percent, with about half the projected cut would come from slowing deforestation of the Amazon.
The goal could see carbon reductions of up to 39 percent and is set against Brazil's forecast level of emissions in 2020.
The target was presented by Environment Minister Carlos Minc and government chief minister Dilma Rousseff at a news conference in Sao Paulo following talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Brazil is the fourth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, largely because of carbon released through deforestation of its vast Amazon forest by ranchers and farmers.
Rousseff said the country's target is between 36.1 percent and 38.9 percent, with about half the projected cut would come from slowing deforestation of the Amazon.
PARIS, Nov 14 (AFP) Nov 14, 2009 France and Brazil adopted a common policy Saturday ahead of key UN global warming talks and vowed to launch a worldwide push to convince other powers to back their "climate bible".A joint text was unveiled after talks between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which gave an outline of an agreement they want at the December 7-18 Copenhagen summit."We are making public... a French-Brazilian text because Brazil and France, we want Copenhagen to be a success, not a cut-price agreement," Sarkozy said.Lula hailed it as a "climate bible" and a "historic document"."I hope that it will be a paradigm to frame the talks," he added. The document does not go into great detail, notably on figures, which have been a sticking point for the United States and China. It recalls only that the final objective is a "global reduction of at least 50 percent by 2050 compared with 1990" of damaging greenhouse gases worldwide.
A joint text was unveiled after talks between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, which gave an outline of an agreement they want at the December 7-18 Copenhagen summit.
"We are making public... a French-Brazilian text because Brazil and France, we want Copenhagen to be a success, not a cut-price agreement," Sarkozy said.
Lula hailed it as a "climate bible" and a "historic document".
"I hope that it will be a paradigm to frame the talks," he added.
The document does not go into great detail, notably on figures, which have been a sticking point for the United States and China.
It recalls only that the final objective is a "global reduction of at least 50 percent by 2050 compared with 1990" of damaging greenhouse gases worldwide.
