Lula pushes oil drilling at mouth of Amazon despite climate risks
news.mongabay.com
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is pushing to approve exploratory oil drilling at the mouth of the Amazon River before November’s U.N. COP30, an initiative which clashes with his image as a climate leader. A staunch defender of the project, Lula and his allies argue that oil revenues will fund Brazil’s renewable energy […]

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Summary

  • Despite his climate leadership stance ahead of COP30, Brazilian President Lula da Silva is pushing to approve oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon.
  • Lula argues that oil revenues will fund Brazil’s energy transition. Critics say this is a flawed justification for expanding oil extraction under the guise of financing climate solutions.
  • If projects get the green light, activists highlight the potential for significant environmental damage, including threats to biodiversity and Indigenous communities.
  • Critics fear that approving this project will set a precedent for further oil exploration in the Amazon region, worsening environmental risks. In June, Brazil’s petroleum agency will auction more than 300 oil blocks across the country, including 47 at the mouth of the Amazon and 21 onshore in central Brazil.