THE WHAT? Natura &Co’s Founder and Co-chairman has branded the Brazilian government’s climate change targets, announced during the 2021 United Climate Change Conference in Scotland, underwhelming’, according to a report published by Reuters.

THE DETAILS The South American nation has committed to a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and to tackle illegal deforestation by 2028. However, as Guilherme Leal has pointed out, those pledges are to be measured against a recently revised 2005 baseline, making the new undertaking less onerous than its previous climate promises. Environmentalists are also concerned that the targets are empty promises given Bolsonaro’s track record.

THE WHY? Leal told Reuters, “We could be more courageous in our ambitions. There is no doubt, I think Brazil can and should be more ambitious. They are positive signals but I think the credibility is very low. The federal government, through its diverse agencies, needs to effectively show that it will keep its promises.”