In a public hearing held on Tuesday (April 26) in the Senate, in Brasília, to discuss topics such as the importance of the Rio+20 Conference and sustainable development, the Executive Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Francisco Gaetani, said the country's environmental policy is being consolidated by a strategy towards the 'green economy'.
"We are convinced that the environmental theme is not only a problem or challenge of the MMA, but of the entire society and all levels of government. Brazil is now an 'environmental power', especially in biodiversity, alternative power generation, food production and reserves of natural waters. These characteristics give us new responsibilities towards a green economy, which provides development in a sustainable way, to ensure natural resources for future generations", he said.
Gaetani also stressed the importance of Brazil as the host of three international events in the following years: the Rio+20 Conference (2012), the World Cup (2014) and the Olympics (2016) - all with environmental implications.
UNEP - The UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, participated in the event. Steiner, a leading expert on green economy in the world, said there are high expectations about Brazil in relation to Rio+20. "We believe that Brazil can enhance its ability to lead, negotiate and influence the thought pattern that must be present in the negotiations on sustainable development and in the decisions that will determine new strategies for the climate system."
For the UNEP Executive Director, all the nations still find obstacles to the sustainable development, which are triggered by economic and political domination, and therefore the environmental advances were not as significant as it was expected to be. But, according to him, changes on national legislations can contribute much to it.
The Director of the Environment Department of the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, who also attended the hearing, stressed that the Rio+20 Conference is not just an environmental event, but an opportunity to the world to discuss the 'green economy' in the context of sustainability, poverty eradication and international governance.
Redes Sociais