(Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said richer nations with their “historic debt” to the planet should foot the bill for environmental damage that is being hoisted on poorer countries.
“Who polluted the planet in these last 200 years were those who made the industrial revolution,” Lula said in a speech to a large crowd in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, at the “Power Our Planet” event.
“And for this, they have to pay the historic debt they have with planet Earth,” he added, arguing that developed countries should take responsibility for financing the preservation of forests in low-income countries.
The event, organized by sustainable development advocacy group Global Citizen, is taking place in parallel to the Paris Summit and also features performances from artists such as Lenny Kravitz and Billie Eilish, as well as other world leaders.
Combating illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest was a key pledge in Lula’s narrow election victory last year, after his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, weakened oversight and environmental agencies, allowing a sharp increase in the destruction of the forest.
“The Amazon is a sovereign territory of Brazil, but at the same time, it belongs to all humanity,” Lula said, “For this reason, we will make every effort to keep the forest standing.”
Earlier this month, his administration unveiled how it plans to end illegal deforestation in the forest by 2030.
(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing and additional reporting by Peter Frontini; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
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