Lula urges rich nations to step up climate action at COP31
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called on wealthy nations to strengthen their climate commitments, while defending Brazil's environmental leadership at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye.
Speaking to Brazilian and international civil society organisations on Thursday, Lula insisted that Brazil had demonstrated its commitment to tackling climate change.
“No one, no one on planet Earth, no country, no authority has more authority than Brazil when it comes to the climate, when it comes to the environmental issue,” he declared.
His remarks follow reports that Amazon deforestation fell last year to its lowest level in nearly four decades. Lula said Brazil's pledge to achieve zero deforestation was driven by personal conviction rather than international pressure.
He challenged leaders of wealthy countries to demonstrate similar commitment. “I want to see Trump, I want to see Macron (...) I want to see all the countries that talk about the environment, who used to lay down the rules for us,” Lula said.
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The United States, which withdrew from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump, did not send a representative to the summit, attended by more than 60 world leaders.
Lula also urged countries to contribute to Brazil's tropical forest protection fund, stressing that the appeal was not an act of begging. According to the Brazilian presidency, donors have pledged $7.8 billion.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
