Brazil govt faces criminal charges over 'greenwashing', deforestation of Amazon rainforest

The deforestation of the Amazon forest in Brazil has increased significantly. The latest figures from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which monitors the state of the Amazon rainforest, show a 22% increase over the previous year, as per the reports of DW News. Between August 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021, 13,235 square kilometres has disappeared. The new statistics were released on October 27, just days before the start of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. 

According to DW News, environmental groups such as Greenpeace has accused the Brazilian government stating that no amount of greenwashing will be able to conceal that Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro is trying to destroy the Amazon. During the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Brazil and more than 100 other world leaders vowed to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. Jos Barlow, a British conservation science professor based at Lancaster University stated that the environmental track record of Brazil's federal government is appalling, and multiple lines of evidence show that they have been simultaneously encouraging deforestation whilst reducing investment in environmental enforcement.

European Commission proposed a ban on imports of goods connected to deforestation

Looking at the situation, the European Commission proposed a ban on imports of goods connected to deforestation on Wednesday, including soybeans, palm oil, meat and timber and products made from them, according to DW News. Frans Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission in charge of the EU's Green Deal said that these measures demonstrate that the European Union is serious about the green transition.

Andre Guimaraes, executive director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute in Brazil stated that the Amazon is at the core of the worldwide discussion on climate change, according to DW News. He further said that it is a source of rain and energy, as well as a carbon sink. He criticised the Brazilian government stating that nothing appears to resonate with them, which has selected ineffective, expensive, and inefficient methods to combat deforestation.

Temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius

Jos Barlow has noted substantial changes in the Santarem region in the Amazon's eastern sector. Since the 1980s, he claims that the region has witnessed a 34% decline in dry-season rainfall, a temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius, and an increase in massive wildfires that have destroyed more than 1 million hectares of forest, according to DW News. He stated that in the last 20 years, the woods and landscapes have altered dramatically, and the pace of change is accelerating.

Image: AP