JOÃO PEDRO PITOMBO
Republican Donald Trump’s victory for the Presidency of the United States will bring setbacks and difficult times for the global climate agenda, but it also opens up opportunities for countries like Brazil to take the lead in the energy transition agenda.
The assessment is by Laurence Tubiana, president of the European Climate Foundation, and one of the architects of the Paris Agreement signed in 2015. She participates in the International Conference Amazonia and New Economies, in Belém. The event is organized by Ibram (Brazilian Institute of Mining).
“These elections were bad for the climate, but we already imagined that this could happen. But now, we in the climate community are better prepared than we were in 2017,” said Tubiana, referring to Trump’s first administration, between 2017 and 2020.
She stated that the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, is at risk. In his first term, Trump removed the United States from among the signatories of the agreement. But the Americans returned to the agreement under the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden.
Regarding the United States, Tubiana recalled that the country is the second emitter of carbon gases globally, and, even though it has reduced its emissions, it is still far from the level predicted for 2030.
On the other hand, she highlighted the role of non-state actors, including companies and universities, who maintained their support for the Paris Agreement, and have acted to promote renewable energy. And he said that the new scenario emerging from the ballot box in the United States will demand more organization and mobilization from those who defend the fight against climate change.
In 2025, the capital of Pará will host COP30, a conference held by the UN body on climate change. The event in Brazil will mark ten years of the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, which had Laurence Tubiana as one of its main architects.
COP30 will be the stage for the first major review of the parameters established in the Paris Agreement and should mark a review of countries’ climate commitments, so that they have a more balanced balance of forces.
Tubiana stated that the new political scenario consolidated with Donald Trump’s victory opens up an opportunity for Brazil to lead an energy transition agenda at a global level.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for Brazil, be it the government, society or companies, to say, ‘look, we’re moving forward’”, said Lubiana, who says she sees the possibility of a new wave of mobilization similar to what happened in 2015 with the Paris Agreement.
She further stated that COP30 in Belém, which she defined as the COP of forests, will place Brazil in a leadership position and highlight the country to the rest of the world. And he said that it will be an opportunity for Brazil to show the importance of multilateralism to the world.
“This is a challenge, but a great challenge for Brazilian diplomacy and, in a way, for society. A wonderful opportunity for the country in a really dramatic context”, he added.
The reporter traveled at the invitation of Ibram (Brazilian Mining Institute).
