RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – French President Emmanuel Macron called for the “mobilization of all powers” to help Brazil and the other countries to fight the fires in the Amazon rainforest. The president made the appeal before the official speech at the G7 summit.
Macron also called for investment in reforestation in the affected areas: “We must respond to the call of the Amazon forest, our common asset. Then you will act,” the president said before the summit.
The G7 member countries will debate the situation of the Amazon at the request of the French president. Through his social media, Macron said last Thursday that forest fires would be addressed as a top priority during the summit.
“Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon Rainforest — the lungs that produce 20% of our planet’s oxygen — is on fire. It is an international crisis. Members of the G7 Summit, let’s discuss this emergency first order in two days!” he wrote on Twitter.
In addition to demanding a broad and intense debate at the G7, France went one step further and took a stand against the signing of the trade pact between Mercosur and the European Union. The Elysée Palace issued a statement clarifying its positioning.
President Jair Bolsonaro lied about his environmental commitments, according to French officials. As a result, signing the trade agreement would not be feasible.