By Daniela Vianna and Tatiane Matheus, ClimaInfo

The debate “ Loss and Damage, Gender and Territorial Impacts ”, held on Friday, 11/11, at the Brazil Climate Hub, was divided into two panels, which explored the different nuances of the theme and the impacts of the climate crisis on the most vulnerable populations. vulnerable. The debaters agree that talking about loss and damage is also talking about climate justice and, ultimately, human rights. This theme is one of the critical themes of the Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt.

At the two tables, coordinated by researcher Andrêa Ferreira, from the Iyaleta Research Association, participants signaled and presented data on the setbacks and violations of rights that occurred in Brazil in the last four years of Bolsonaro’s administration. The elected federal deputy Marina Silva, quoted to assume the Ministry of the Environment in the Lula government, pointed to the urgency of addressing the issues of “losses and damages” in Brazil and in the world.

“This COP has the character of implementing issues that have already been decided and that need to gain the necessary effectiveness to reduce emissions and stabilize the Earth’s temperature, which is already committed to the target of 1.5˚Cº. According to recent data, we will not reduce GHG emissions by 53% by 2030, but will increase by 12%, which is very serious. And the seriousness of this situation will fall specifically on a part of the population of our planet. What enters is precisely this debate about losses and damages”, said Marina Silva. “The effort has to be global,” she said, noting that the climate crisis knows no borders.

Globally, she cited the cases of Small Islands, which are at risk of disappearing due to rising sea levels, and Africa, where the lack of water leaves entire populations and peoples at risk of extinction. Marina also highlighted that traditional populations are responsible for 80% of the existing protected areas in the world, and that it is necessary that investments – currently allocated primarily to repairing what has already been destroyed – be used to recognize the benefits provided for these communities and peoples.

About Brazil, he said that “indigenous peoples, who have contributed absolutely nothing to the consequences of what we are suffering today, are, in the reality of the world, the most affected as well”.

New airs of hope

Marina Silva’s message was one of hope. She stressed that the country must resume its leading role in the international climate agenda and set an example for the world. The elected deputy praised the public commitments assumed by president-elect Lula, on the last November 12th, to make environmental and climate policies a priority, strategic and transversal theme of his government; to prioritize zero deforestation with respect to communities; and to protect forests and native peoples. She also mentioned that the Safra Plan – worth around R$ 300 billion – should serve as a basis for the transition to low-carbon agriculture.

Two representatives of indigenous peoples who shared the panel with her also extolled the times of change. Chief Zé Bajaga Apurinã, from the Idecora village, Terra Indígena Caititu, in the municipality of Lábrea, in the Amazon, stressed the need to strengthen the process of coping with climate change in indigenous territories in the Amazon. “We indigenous people care for and preserve the forests, contributing to the management of natural resources and ensuring diversity, in addition to producing rain for the rest of the country and the planet. There is no money in the world to pay for the extinction of animals and fish, the pollution of our rivers by illegal mining, but we have light at the end of the tunnel, which is our president (Lula), after four years of destruction”. he said. “As long as we are breathing, we will never stop fighting to defend our lands, our territories. If we continue to preserve, we are not only saving us, indigenous peoples, we will also be saving all the peoples of the planet”, he concluded.

In his participation, Toya Manchineri, from the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) and coordinator of the Territory and Natural Resources Area of ​​the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), emphasized that it is fundamental for the country to return “to the normal tracks”. According to him, this means respecting life, especially that of minorities, with an end to violations of the rights of indigenous peoples and the return of public policies that defend forests. “Today, we have that hope again,” he celebrated.

Brazilian Energy Sector

Also represented on the panel was Ricardo Baitelo, project manager at the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEMA) and representative of the Coalizão Energia Limpa – fair and free gas transition. He outlined an overview of the impacts of energy based on coal and gas both from a climatic and social point of view, with the increase in air pollution, the intensive use of water and the economic impact on electricity bills and inflation. Baitelo mentioned the setbacks in the energy sector in the last four years, and the impacts on local populations in relation to the energy sector, such as the installation of thermoelectric plants and the import of gas.

Regarding the energy matrix, Marina Silva highlighted that the commitment to incorporate targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the sector and in the National Energy System is absolutely innovative. “It is possible to think (for Brazil) of a clean, diversified, safe energy matrix, with distributed generation that is cheaper than diesel, coal and hydroelectricity, with less transmission losses and job creation. Why look for other sources?”, asked Marina. “That we can have gains and gains, and no more losses and damages”, she concluded.

Demand for an effective climate agenda

In the second panel of the debate on “ Losses and Damage, Gender and Territorial Impacts ”, the participants highlighted the sequence of setbacks in the areas of energy and the environment by the Brazilian government in the last four years and called attention to the need for a more effective climate agenda , and the development of a different look at the losses and damages of the most vulnerable populations.

Célia Pinto (executive coordinator of CONAQ), Julia Neiva (Conectas Human Rights), Crisanto Xavante (representative of the Xavante people), Edel Moraes (Memorial Chico Mendes and National Council of Extractivists) and Pedro Hartung (Climate Champions and Alana).

The quilombola and CONAQ coordinator, Célia Pinto spoke about the fact that losses and damages in relation to climate change are posed by the economic point of view, however, the losses of biodiversity, culture and a whole framework that cannot be measurable must also be included. “The greatest losses are not economic, but of lives,” she said. She highlighted how the absence of public policies for the protection of people and territories is harmful. In addition to the quilombola communities being affected, many who are on the outskirts of the cities, suffering, are people who left the communities (quilombolas).

“The impacts of climate change generate very serious violations of human rights. Gender and race issues are intertwined with environmental justice. We call it structural, environmental, energetic racism, but it is fundamental in the discussion about losses and damages”, explained Julia Neiva, who also reinforced the need to face the consequences of colonialism. For her, it is a question of reparation. The mechanisms that must be adopted need to contemplate criteria related to human rights, racism in its various forms, social, gender, racial and class injustices — all forms of oppression. It is essential, for her, to guarantee that the most impacted countries receive the due compensation. “There are several forms of compensation: financial, infrastructure, technological, innovation,

Crisanto Xavante corroborated Célia’s speech and highlighted that Brazil is pluriethnic and pluricultural. Therefore, the search for climate mitigation needs to have this horizon.

The vice-president of the Chico Mendes Memorial, Edel Moraes, presented a survey, carried out with women and young people, which exemplifies climate impacts in practice. The diagnosis revealed that the main change observed over time in the communities was the increase in temperature, which has impacts from family organization to planting, fishing and other factors linked to economic and social well-being. The most vulnerable communities depend on a healthy environment, especially since it is a region with rates below the poverty line. Women and children are directly impacted, because they are related to the care and maintenance of food autonomy, in addition to not having access to energy, even though they are impacted by energy generation projects. Edel also highlighted that women bring propositions of solutions. “We don’t have two planets, we really need to find and present good solutions. Not only traditional peoples and communities, but all decision makers. May our speeches and demands, our reflections and research in defense of the environment be heard”, concluded Edel.

Finally, the lawyer for the Climate Champions and Alana, Pedro Hartung, pointed out that, despite the almost 30 years that have elapsed since the first Climate Conference, there is no decision on COPs related to children, even though they are the most affected. “Children and their families are being impacted right now by climate change. But this is not being recognized”, he warned. According to him, the climate crisis is also a crisis for children and adolescents. Data indicate that around 10 million children have already had to migrate because of the current climate situation. The lawyer also highlighted the importance of taking funding to communities, of taking care of those who care for these children,

The full text of the two panels is available at this link .

All events were recorded and are available in Portuguese and English on the Brazil Climate Hub website .

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Photo credit: Ellen Monielle/Iyaleta