Lula sounds the alarm at COP28: ‘The planet is burning’
Brazil president, Lula also called attention to the inequitable distribution of the impacts of climate change
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sounded the alarm about the climate crisis in a speech at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai on Friday.
“The planet is burning,” he said. “We are seeing the devastating effects of climate change all around us.”
Lula pointed to the recent IPCC report, which warned that the world has only until the end of this decade to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“We are already past 1 degree Celsius, and we are on track to reach 2 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century. This is unacceptable.”
He criticized the failure of wealthy countries to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. “The planet is tired of unfulfilled climate agreements,” he said.
Lula also called attention to the inequitable distribution of the impacts of climate change. “The cost of climate change is not the same for everyone. It is the poor and vulnerable who are hit first.”
The president also said that Brazil is committed to leading the fight against climate change. “We have set ambitious climate targets,” he said. “We have drastically reduced deforestation in the Amazon, and we are committed to zero deforestation by 2030.”
Lula concluded his speech by calling on all countries to work together to address climate change.
“We must all work together to protect our planet”.