RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil has authorised state oil company Petrobras to drill for oil near the mouth of the Amazon River despite environmental concerns.
The decision has angered environmentalists who say it undermines Brazil’s credibility as host of next month’s UN climate talks.
Petrobras received the license to explore the Foz de Amazonas region after a five-year battle for permission.
Brazil’s environmental agency Ibama stated it approved the drilling following a rigorous environmental licensing process.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva supports expanding oil exploration, arguing revenues will fund Brazil’s climate transition.
Critics accuse Lula of contradictory policies as he urges global climate action ahead of COP30 talks in Belem.
Brazil’s Climate Observatory NGO announced civil society organizations will challenge the decision in court.
“The government is sabotaging the leadership it should have at COP30,“ said Suely Araujo, a former Ibama president.
Araujo questioned how Brazil can advocate shifting from fossil fuels while intensifying oil exploration.
The Foz de Amazonas region represents a promising new offshore oil frontier similar to nearby Guyana’s discoveries.
Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira called the area essential for Brazil’s future oil sovereignty.
“As long as the world demands oil, someone will supply it,“ Silveira told Globo News broadcaster.
Petrobras will immediately begin drilling an exploratory well 500 kilometers from the Amazon River mouth.
Environmentalists warn of risks to the world’s largest tropical rainforest from offshore drilling.
The World Wildlife Fund noted the area contains 80% of Brazil’s mangrove ecosystems.
Ibama’s technical report highlighted potential threats to already declining manatee populations.
Petrobras claims its models show oil spills would not reach the coast or affect Indigenous communities.
Petrobras president Magda Chambriard expressed hope for proving oil existence in this new energy frontier.
Brazil exports over half its oil production, meaning new drilling emissions will affect global climate.
“Authorizing new oil licenses in the Amazon is not just a historic mistake,“ said Ilan Zugman of 350.org.
Ibama had denied Petrobras an exploration license in 2023 over inadequate wildlife protection plans.
Lula previously criticised Ibama for acting against government interests during the appeal process.
A February Ibama technical opinion recommended denying the license due to massive biodiversity loss risks.
The agency chief cleared Petrobras for an oil-spill drill in May as the final licensing step.
Ibama acknowledged gaps in wildlife protection during testing but promised another exercise during drilling. – AFP
