Brazil to have national strategy on fighting climate change
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday signed into law the motion on the establishment of the country's national policy on climate change.
The motion got three vetoes before being signed by the president.
The new law maintains the goal of reducing the national emission of greenhouse gases by between 36.1 percent and 38.9 percent by 2020, despite opposition from the country's ministries of energy and environment.
Brazil emitted nearly 1.47 billion tons of greenhouse gases in 1994. Emission figures for last year were not available.
Environment Minister Carlos Minc said that in meetings of local authorities scheduled for early 2010, academics and entrepreneurs would be drawn into discussing the targets of emission cuts in every sector to be included in the presidential decree.
The energy ministry vetoed the proposed replacement of fossil fuel energy resources in the country.
Activists have suggested that Brazil's 2007-2010 investment program did not pay enough attention to the issue of climate change.
The program, known as the Growth Acceleration Program, invests nearly 250 billion U.S. dollars in oil production as well as in hydroelectric plants, nuclear energy plants, and plantation of oil-bearing crops to produce biofuels.
The investment also goes to road construction, enlargement of sea ports and airports, and shipbuilding.
