Brazil ‘promoting sustainable tourism’
As a “developing” country, Brazil does not have to meet specific environmental targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but that has not stopped the South American nation from making concerted efforts in sustainable development.
In December last year, Brazil launched its National Plan on Climate Change including ambitious proposals to improve and sustain the country’s environment and secure it’s future.
Brazil aims to achieve a ten per cent reduction in its annual electricity consumption by 2030 and maintain the high proportion of electricity powered by renewable sources, which currently stands at 89 per cent.
It intends to continue to increase the already widespread use of sugarcane ethanol as a fuel for vehicles by more than ten per cent every year and make it compulsory for all diesel fuel to contain five per cent biodiesel from 2010 onwards.
The country also wants to reduce average annual deforestation between 2006 and 2009 by 40 per cent compared to 1996 to 2005, followed by two additional reductions of 30 per cent from 2010 to 2013 and 2014 to 2017.
In his introduction to the proposals, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asserts that its goals are “audacious” compared to similar plans by other countries, saying Brazil’s measures have the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by a larger quantity than most nations, if not all.
He adds that the plan will be evaluated and improved regularly in order to strengthen the efforts and commitments of the government to build a better future for the country.
Chris Fuzinatto, director of the Brazilian Tourism Board Embratur, confirms that Brazil is making strident efforts in sustainable development, saying it is becoming more popular – along with eco-tourism – in the country.
“We want people to have renewable energy in their properties and we want people to use less electricity,” Mr Minc affirms.
He adds that the environment minister Carlos Minc – who was appointed in May last year – has introduced new policies to tackle climate change.
“The Ministry of Environment is working closely with the federal police to combat people who are cutting the trees and destroying the forest. There are government policies in place to combat that but it is a vast area,” he asserts.
Mr Minc claims that the idea of sustainable development is being introduced to Brazilians from a young age.
“Brazil is a large country with 200 million people. It is a job we are doing at school level where children are taught how to preserve the world and the environment they live in,” he says, adding that the country has a successful recycling project in place.
Brazil is promoting sustainable tourism and it is a great thing for Brazil itself because it generates a lot of money for the local communities.”
The efforts stem to people who are investing in property in Brazil as well, according to Mr Minc, who believes that they are being made aware of environmental concerns.
“People are informed in various stages of their holidays that we support an environmental policy. We encourage people to keep things clean and respect the establishments they stay in,” he concludes.
