Speeches by Zelensky, Alberto Fernandez, Bugel, Pedro, Biden and others

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the UN on September 19, 2023. Credit: Richard Drew/AP

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva highlighted inequality and the climate crisis in his speech opening the United Nations’ annual general debate in New York this Tuesday. During his speech, the president lamented that the international community had “fallen asleep” on its responsibility to care for the world’s poor.

“We must overcome resignation, which makes us accept many injustices as a natural phenomenon,” Lula said. “There is no political will from those who rule the world to address inequality,” he asserted.

In his first appearance at a world summit since returning to office earlier this year after more than a decade out of power, Lula also proposed a new geopolitical order that could challenge the West’s global economic dominance and pushed for more dialogue around the war. Ukraine.

Since returning to Brazil’s presidency, Lula has worked quickly to establish himself as a climate progressive and global leader, bringing Amazon deforestation rates to their lowest rate in six years this summer, a notable figure after his predecessor’s environmentally damaging policies. Jair Bolsonaro.

“The whole world is always talking about Amazon. Now Amazon is talking for itself,” he said this Tuesday.

Lula urged rich countries to meet clean energy and international climate finance targets, arguing that the $100 billion financing plan was already an “insufficient” amount.

“Rich countries developed on a model with high rates of climate change-harmful gases,” he said. “We, developing countries, do not want to repeat this model. We have already proven once in Brazil, and we will prove again that a social justice and environmentally sustainable model is possible.”

However, Lula has faced criticism over his government’s investments in fossil fuels, including plans for a potential offshore drilling project.

In reports released this Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that G20 countries, including Brazil, are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.

“They must break their addiction to fossil fuels,” Guterres said.

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