U.S. President Joe Biden will embark on a historic trip to the Amazon rainforest to promote climate change fighting efforts ahead of the G20 Summit, while Donald Trump’s return to power raises concerns over potential rollbacks of environmental policies. Biden’s recent achievement of $11 billion in climate financing positions the U.S. as a leader in climate initiatives, against the backdrop of alarming deforestation and climate change impacts on the Amazon.
United States President Joe Biden is embarking on a historic journey to the Amazon rainforest this Sunday, aiming to highlight his administration’s efforts to combat climate change ahead of the G20 Summit. This visit marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has traveled to Manaus, Brazil, a city located within the world’s largest rainforest. Biden’s trip comes as Donald Trump is set to return to the presidency in January, raising concerns about the potential rollback of environmental policies that Biden has championed during his term. In the lead-up to the G20 Summit commencing in Rio de Janeiro, the Biden administration has announced a significant achievement in climate financing. The U.S. has successfully raised bilateral climate financing to $11 billion per year, a stark increase compared to the $1.8 billion provided at the beginning of Biden’s presidency in 2021. This effort has positioned the United States as the leading bilateral provider of climate finance globally. The White House asserts that addressing climate change is a fundamental priority of President Biden’s leadership. However, Biden’s influence appears weakened during this final foreign tour as he faces overshadowing media attention garnered by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a previous summit. In a meeting between the two leaders, Xi expressed hopes for a seamless transition with the incoming Trump administration, which poses plausible threats to existing climate initiatives. Trump has already signaled intentions to reverse Biden’s policies and could potentially withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris Agreement once more. The Amazon rainforest plays a pivotal role in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide; however, it is increasingly threatened by climate change impacts and deforestation. Recent reports indicate that the forest has lost an area comparable to that of Germany and France combined over the last four decades. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil has committed to halting illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. Yet, experts warn that a reinstallation of Trump as president could undermine progress toward green energy transitions, giving nations such as China and India a pretext to diminish their own environmental commitments. Trump has previously emphasized fossil fuel extraction and has downplayed climate change’s significance even in the modern electoral context.
The article discusses President Biden’s upcoming visit to the Amazon rainforest as part of his broader efforts to address climate change ahead of the G20 summit, which is set to take place shortly after his visit. It highlights the tensions surrounding environmental policies in the context of former President Trump’s return to power. The Amazon’s role as a crucial component of global ecological balance, amid increasing threats from climate change and deforestation, is underscored. The geopolitical dynamics between the U.S. and China, alongside Bolsonaro’s administration in Brazil, are also considered in the frame of climate change policy and international relations.
In conclusion, President Biden’s upcoming trip to the Amazon rainforest serves as a critical affirmation of his commitment to combating climate change, particularly as he navigates the uncertainties posed by Donald Trump’s potential return to the presidency. With substantial achievements in climate finance announced, Biden aims to showcase the U.S. leadership role while addressing dire climate issues indicative of the Amazon’s integrity. As the world anticipates the G20 summit, the implications of U.S. environmental policy direction remain a pressing concern amid the backdrop of shifting political landscapes.
Original Source: www.rfi.fr
