Norway's Amazon Funds to Resume Under the Lula Government

On Monday, the Norwegian government announced its willingness to unlock its financial contributions to the Amazon Fund, which were suspended three years ago as a result of public policy actions undertaken by right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

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Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide indicated that Norwegian officials will establish contact with Lula's technical team before he assumes the Brazilian presidency on January 1, thus seeking to advance the procedures for the reactivation of the environmental fund.

"We will speak with his people to fix the formalities. There are significant amounts frozen in accounts for the fund," Eide told the Norwegian agency NTB.

In 2019, Germany and Norway froze their contributions to the Amazon Fund indefinitely due to the boost that the Bolsonaro administration gave to extractive activities, which favor the deforestation of the largest tropical rainforest on the planet.

When that happened, Bolsonaro responded by disqualifying the donors' decision, stating that the Norwegians "have no morals to give examples" because they kill whales and extract oil from the North Pole.

The Norwegian environment minister recalled that "the significant increase in deforestation during the Bolsonaro administration was very serious. All those who are concerned about the climate have seen with pain how he ignored old agreements and promises." For this reason, Eide described Lula's triumph as something good for both Brazil and the whole world.

The Workers' Party leader will begin his third term in January 2023. Previously, he held the presidency between 2003 and 2010, a period in which Brazil stood out as an economy with high levels of growth and social inclusion.