November 30, 2009. Copyright 2009, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Copenhagen Climate conference -- Brazil
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, November 30, Graphic News:  If the Amazon rainforest is indeed the world's "lungs", environmentalists can take heart from Brazil's position on global warming as South America's most influential nation heads to COP15. Brazil recently announced the biggest drop in deforestation for 20 years -- scientists say deforestation accounts for 20 percent of global emissions.

The battle to preserve the Amazon rainforest is a key part of the country's ambitious plans to cut its emissions by 38-42 percent by 2020: Brazil and France have joined forces to lobby industralised nations to cut their own emissions to half of 1990 levels by 2050, and Brazil hopes its own bold stance will shame richer nations into action.

Cynics have accused Brazil's government of holding the rainforest to ransom in the hope of receiving billions of dollars worth of credits that can be traded on the global carbon market. But Brazil can be rightly proud of its success as the world’s leader in biofuels, as well as the fact that 45 percent of its energy already comes from renewable sources.
/ENDS