In the debate surrounding oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon, the absence of Brazilian society’s opinion is striking. During the Energy Transition and the Challenge of the Equatorial Margin panel at the 3rd Amazon Forum in Belém (PA), André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), emphasized that the damage caused by the decision is not being measured and sustainable alternatives, such as replacing fossil fuels with biofuels, have not even been put on the negotiating table.
“I don’t want to believe that we are debating expanding oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River, putting more carbon into the atmosphere, jeopardizing the country’s main export activity and job creation, which is agribusiness, and also compromising the Amazon rainforest itself with rising temperatures, decreasing humidity and drought,” he said. “We should be discussing these issues in greater depth. Brazilian society is still not taking part in this discussion.”
The host of the event, singer Fafá de Belém – an IPAM ambassador – defended protection and compensation, especially for the Amazonians, who will be the most affected by oil exploration.
“We have to stop and think about what is fundamental now: that all the wealth and profits come back to be invested in our land,” she said.
Suely Araújo, public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, said that even if oil exploration is authorized now, it should actually begin in 10 to 15 years, but that today’s decision is likely to be exacerbated by climate change.
“The International Energy Agency itself says that after 2030 the demand for oil in the world will start to fall. So it’s a question of timing and really a demand. Fossil fuels are the main villain of global warming and the Amazon doesn’t need to take this path,” he said.
Changing the energy matrix from oil to biofuels tends to promote the inclusion of traditional peoples and communities, according to Eliane Cabeza, from the Pará State Regulatory Agency.
“It involves indigenous people, quilombolas, extractivists and river dwellers. With their traditional and ancestral knowledge, they are able to manipulate and extract this raw material, the biomass, without harming biodiversity. Producing clean energy and, at the same time, helping to contribute to achieving the global climate commitments that Brazil has made,” he said.
Alex Carvalho, president of Fiepa (Federation of Industries of the State of Pará), sees oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon as an opportunity to generate 59,000 jobs and 10.7 billion reais in revenue for the state.
“We want our people looking into the eyes of anyone in Brazil, anywhere in the world, who has the courage to say yes to economic activities that respect the law, fulfill their environmental role, but above all have a socio-economic commitment,” he argued.
The debate was mediated by Eugênio Pantoja, Hydro’s social performance manager.