"Brazil wants to lead the global environmental agenda," says Mercadante.

247 - The president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante, reaffirmed this week that Brazil is prepared to assume a leadership role in the global environmental agenda. The statement was made during the launch event of an ambitious forest restoration program, carried out in partnership with Petrobras.

The initiative, called ProFloresta+, foresees the restoration of up to 50 hectares of degraded areas in the Amazon and the generation of approximately 15 million tons of carbon credits. The project aims to both strengthen the green economy and contribute decisively to Brazil's decarbonization goals. Petrobras will be responsible for guaranteeing the purchase of the generated carbon credits, while BNDES will offer financing to the projects through credit lines with special rates, such as the Climate Fund.

During his speech, Mercadante warned of the worsening climate crisis: “In the last 18 months, the Earth's temperature has increased by 1,5ºC. No scientific study predicted this warming with this intensity, and there is no guarantee that it is reversible.” The president of BNDES also highlighted that, if no relevant action is taken, the world could face an increase of 2,5ºC by 2050, which would bring even more severe extreme events than the current ones.

Mercadante emphasized the importance of COP 30, which will be held in Brazil, as a turning point: “Our challenge is to make this COP a landmark for more ambitious commitments to address global warming. Brazil can and should lead this agenda.” To achieve this goal, BNDES has invested in reducing deforestation, decarbonizing industry and agriculture, and strengthening biomes such as the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Caatinga.

The president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, also participated in the event and emphasized the importance of collaboration between the two institutions: “This is a very important initiative for Petrobras and for Brazil. It will allow us to meet our climate commitments with high-quality carbon credits and, at the same time, foster the development of the restaurant sector in the country.”

In addition to environmental gains, the project also foresees social and economic benefits for the communities involved, especially indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, and residents of peripheral areas. Mercadante recalled that planting trees is a strategic response to address climate change: “Trees sequester carbon, preserve the ecosystem, and provide numerous environmental services. We are working to make forest restoration a structuring activity in Brazil.”

In closing, Mercadante emphasized that the alliance between BNDES and Petrobras revives the historical vocation of boldness and innovation of the public development bank. “The Brazilian press needs to align itself with this effort. We need to transform COP 30 into a major global meeting to reverse the current trajectory and push forward a strategic agenda to address the climate crisis. We are doing this for our future generations,” he concluded.