Meio Ambiente

President Lula installed Izabella Teixeira as the new minister of the Environment in a ceremony held yesterday (March 31) at the Palácio do Itamaraty, in Brasília. Izabella, who was the Executive Secretary of the Ministry, replaces Carlos Minc, who left the post to contest general elections in October.

The new minister stated that she will maintain the policies and actions initiated during the administration of Carlos Minc. "I'll work hard and I do expect to succeed, with the support of the entities linked to the Ministry", she said at the ceremony.

In his speech, President Lula highlighted the advances achieved during the administration of Carlos Minc, such as the approval of the plant of Belo Monte, in the Amazon, which is very important for energy supply in the country; the Brazilian proactive and prominent participation at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP-15), in December 2009 in Copenhagen (Denmark); and the significant drop in Amazon deforestation.

To President Lula, the work of Carlos Minc has strengthened the role of the MMA in the discussion and formulation of public policies in the country. "Minc worked with dedication and loyalty".

After nearly two years in the MMA, Minc left the post saying that his "dream" is that the climate and environmental issues would be at the center of all political discussions. "We've fought to defend our ideas and to involve the MMA in the preparation of the public policies", he said.