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Silva announced the creation of an extraordinary secretary to end
deforestation and plans to set up a climate authority within the
administration of President Lula da Silva.
Lula took office on Sunday pledging to stop deforestation in the
Amazon, a vital biome to curb climate change. He quickly revoked
policies of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro who eased
environmental protection and allowed the rate of deforestation to
surge to a 15-year-high on his watch.
"The environmental agenda was destroyed by the previous government,"
Silva said in a speech as she took office.
"Climate change policy was dismantled to the point that Brazil
became an environmental pariah in the world," she said.
Silva, the daughter of Amazon rubber tappers, became a prominent
environmentalist and held the same ministerial position for five
years during Lula's first and second terms.
She oversaw a significant drop in deforestation at the time, a task
she will have to tackle again in helping Lula to fulfill his
campaign pledge to stop illegal deforestation.
The minister announced the creation of a green economy department in
her ministry, but said the transition to a low carbon economy will
not happen overnight.
"It won't happen by magic. We will place the pillars, but we will
need resources and partnerships," she said in reference to
international assistance that the Lula government is seeking.
Silva said restoring Brazil's prominent role as a environmental
leader will help the South American trade bloc Mercosur conclude its
free trade deal with the European Union, which had been held up by
concerns over uncontrolled Amazon deforestation.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Peter Frontini;
editing by Grant McCool)
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