Biden wants to release $500 million to the Amazon fund, 10 times more than planned world

On Thursday (20), the President of the United States, Joe Biden, will announce plans to increase his country’s funding for the Amazon Fund, the Brazilian government’s international financing program that funds actions against deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

According to the White House document, Biden will ask the US Congress for $500 million this Thursday (about R$2.5 billion). for the background to be used more than five years.

the value Ten times more than Washington initially planned for in February, when the United States announced its intention to join the Amazon fund – of which Norway and Germany are already a part. The UK is also considering membership in the fund, which was scrapped during the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro and revitalized this year.

In 2020, during the presidential campaign that led him to the White House, Joe Biden promised to lead an initiative to raise US$20 billion (about R$101 billion) to help fight deforestation in Brazil, without directly mentioning the Amazon fund. The money has not yet been collected.

On Thursday, Biden and Lula will participate in a virtual forum with leaders from several countries on climate change.

After Lula’s election, Norway and Germany, the main sponsors of the fund, announced that they would resume funding. Both countries also canceled their participation in the program in 2019, after Bolsonaro won.