The United Kingdom criticized Brazil for its high reliance on fossil fuels along with its high corruption rate.
Abigail Grace Hermawan
08 June 2022
The delegate of the United Kingdom presented Brazil’s alleged reason behind insisting on reliance on fossil fuels.
The COP 26 Glasgow United Nations for Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) formed two obvious blocks between developed countries, dominated by the United Kingdom, and developing countries, dominated by Brazil.
The United Kingdom proposed the idea of a fossil-fuel-free electricity source due to its biological danger to humans, which can cause multiple health issues.
However, Brazil declared its high reliance on fossil fuels and its challenges to immediately transitioning into a more eco-friendly energy source since it is still a developing country with no high infrastructure.
The delegate of the United Kingdom then presented a PowerPoint titled “Let’s Talk Dirty Money,” talking about Brazil's corrupt government. The United Kingdom pointed up that the rate of clientelism, cronyism, nepotism, and bribery in Brazil is concerningly high.
The delegate of the United Kingdom ends the presentation by stating an allegation that Brazil supports the reliance on fossil fuels because it is easier to corrupt and lobby.
“The rampant corruption, as exposed by Operation Car Wash, is to be noted and contrasted with his strong stance on ensuring climate action. This delegate wishes to point out that such scandals did not occur under the current government of Jair Bolsonaro, " said the delegate of Brazil during a personal interview held.
Brazil's delegate emphasized that Brazil has always been a pioneer in renewable energy sources, such as nuclear power & biofuel, despite being an oil-exporting country.
“Brazil believes that developing countries should be given a chance to uplift the lives of citizens before moving onto ambitious targets, and the way forward is through cleaner forms of fossil fuels such as oil and gas.”
The United Kingdom debunked Brazil’s previous statements. During an interview, the United Kingdom emphasized that Brazil does not lack infrastructure.
“If anything, it has the necessary infrastructure and funds to achieve the climate goals they have pledged to achieve. How else does one finance the operation of 22 nuclear reactors?” the delegate of the United Kingdom added.
Nevertheless, fossil fuels contribute to 78% of greenhouse gas emissions.
In the long term, the continuity of fossil fuel use will cause irreparable damage to the environment. Thus, the United Kingdom’s proposal to substitute fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is relevant and may be highly beneficial to reduce climate change.
