Brazil’s government has announced that deforestation in the Amazon region has declined for the fourth consecutive year — a significant relief for the country ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Conference (COP30).
The Amazon rainforest, which spans nine countries, has its largest portion within Brazil and plays a vital role in combating global climate change. The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) monitors changes in forest cover via satellite imagery. According to INPE data, from August 2024 to July 2025, approximately 5,796 square kilometers of natural forest were destroyed — an 11 percent decrease from the previous year and the lowest level since 2014. INPE coordinator Cláudio Almeida confirmed that this marks the fourth consecutive year of decline in deforestation rates.
Deforestation in Brazil’s central Cerrado savanna also fell by 11 percent during the same period. The Amazon, one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, thereby helping to slow global warming.
Environment Minister Marina Silva said, “Every achievement brings new challenges — there is no room for complacency. Our goal is to reduce deforestation to zero by 2030.”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who returned to office in 2023 for a third term, has made forest conservation a top government priority. With COP30 scheduled to be held this November in the Amazonian city of Belém, preserving the rainforest has become central to Brazil’s climate agenda.
Although Brazil is the world’s sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, its main source is not fossil fuels but deforestation. Experts note that clearing land for agriculture and cattle ranching remains the primary driver of forest loss. As the world’s largest exporter of beef, Brazil has suffered massive fires caused by burning land to create pastures — destroying nearly 18 million hectares of forest in 2024 alone.
Deputy Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco remarked, “If not for the extreme weather and severe fires, this year could have seen the lowest deforestation rate in Brazil’s history.”
Under former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, lax environmental policies and land-clearing incentives led to a surge in Amazon deforestation. In contrast, the Lula administration is once again emphasizing environmental protection and aiming to position Brazil as a leader in global climate action.
However, the government has recently faced criticism for approving an oil exploration project at the mouth of the Amazon River. President Lula defended the move, stating that revenues from oil development would fund environmental conservation and climate adaptation projects. Environmentalists, however, warn that the decision could undermine Brazil’s credibility as host of COP30.