Lula’s team demands deforestation data from the federal government

Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) said this Monday afternoon (14), at a press conference, that the Lula government’s transition team will send the Bolsonaro government a request demanding annual deforestation data.

according to Sheet showed, the information is ready, but the current federal government plans to release it only after COP27, the UN climate conference, which runs until the 18th in Egypt.

According to Alckmin, the complete reports from Prodes (Project for Monitoring Deforestation in the Amazon by Satellite) will be requested from August 2021 to July 2022, so that the data can be analyzed and the team can take the “necessary measures” in their “immediate plans”.

Also according to the vice president, the request will be forwarded to the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Ciro Nogueira (PP), and to Inpe (National Institute for Special Research), the body responsible for compiling information on deforestation.

Asked about the emergency actions that the new government intends to take in January 2023 in relation to deforestation and whether the budget provided for in the transition PEC includes this area, Alckmin said that the topic is a major concern.

He highlighted the visit of president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to COP27 and pointed out proposals from the electoral campaign, such as inspection and recovery of environmental agencies.

“There will be a great effort for Brazil to be the leader, the great protagonist of the climate change issue, that’s why we are making this request, asking for information from the federal government and Inpe in relation to Prodes, and of course the budgetary needs, at the appropriate time, will be made possible”, said Alckmin.

Alongside the vice president at the press conference, Aloizio Mercadante (PT), one of the coordinators of the transition team, complemented the answer by stating that the Amazon Fund has about R$ 3 billion currently blocked due to the lack of commitment of the Brazilian government in the fight against logging.

“We have already had conversations with the government of Germany and Norway, which will authorize the release of funds the day after taking office,” said Mercadante.

“And in the transition PEC there are also specific resources for budgetary recomposition of the Ministry of the Environment, especially the control bodies, because this is a decisive priority”.