A deforested area of the Amazon rainforest in the surroundings of Belem, Para State, Brazil, on November 12, 2025. MAURO PIMENTEL / AFP
Brazilian leaders unveiled a new national climate plan Monday that prioritizes enhanced forest protections as a key strategy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Latin American giant hasn't updated its main program to mitigate climate change since 2008, and the new plan looks forward to 2035, when Brazil is expected to have lowered its emissions significantly.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's leftist government has called for a reduction of greenhouse gases by 67% compared to 2005 levels. Forty percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil are generated by trees being razed, often to clandestinely create more agricultural land, Brazilian officials said.
Lula has pledged to reduce deforestation to zero by 2030. Brazil has been hit by extreme weather disasters in recent years, including floods, fires and droughts, which experts link to climate change.
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