On the opening day of COP 30, House of Commons Minister Rui Costa (PT) defended oil exploration projects on the equatorial margins. If Brazil stopped producing oil, he said, the country would emit more polluting gas than it does now. The reason is that state-run oil has a lower carbon concentration and is therefore “less polluting.”
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Just as Environment Minister Marina Silva said in an interview with GLOBO that eliminating fossil fuels “by statute” is not realistic, Rui Costa made a similar reference.
–It’s a problem with two sides. One is production and the other is consumption. Because humans are humans, every time humans demand and consume a product, there are others who will produce it. Therefore, if Brazil halts oil production by executive order today, it does not mean that Brazil will become a low-emitting country the next day. On the contrary, it will be a country with far more emissions.
The minister added that the envisaged closure of Brazil’s refineries would “deteriorate global environmental conditions.”
— Because Brazilian oil is low-emission oil.
The Minister therefore defended the project in Foz do Amazonas, citing as a positive example the use of resources obtained from exploration in sustainable projects.
— If we want to stop burning diesel oil in cities, which worsens the health of people, especially children and the elderly, we need to fund electric buses — Rui Costa said.
The Minister also defended the TFFF and the holding of the COP in the Amazon.
— If we want to protect the forest, if we want to protect our environment, we need to go near the river, near the forest, understand how people live and raise awareness about how to take care of the place. In this context, the Amazon becomes a reference point for solutions for the planet and becomes extremely important.
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