UK and Brazil sign green agreement

The UK and Brazil have this week signed a joint statement that strengthens ties on a range of environmental and sustainable development policies, as part of the Brazilian President’s State Visit to London.

The UK-Brazil High-Level Dialogue on Sustainable Development and Working Group on Climate Change, which follows similar plans with India and China, establishes a framework for co-operative work on issues such as low carbon technology, climate change, natural resource protection and sustainable development. Social problems such as poverty and inequality are also covered under the terms of the agreement.

The development comes a year after the launch of the UK’s Sustainable Development Strategy, and ahead of Brazil hosting the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 8 meeting.

“This agreement provides us with an important platform to improve UK-Brazil understanding, exchange lessons and undertake joint action,” said UK Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, who signed the statement with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. "Today, through the Working Group on Climate Change the UK and Brazilian Governments have agreed to launch a number of exciting new initiatives on climate change and clean energy. It demonstrates our commitment to tackling the challenges of climate change as well as progressing discussions under the UNFCCC on a long-term climate change agreement.”