Despite the losses of the Environmentalist Parliamentary Front, such as Alessandro Molon (PSD), Rodrigo Agostinho (PSB) and the indigenous Joenia Wapichana (Rede), who were not re-elected, in the assessment of SOS Mata Atlântica the “green bench” will remain strong to address important issues for the environment and sustainability.
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Of the 216 parliamentarians who form the environmentalist front, 112 were re-elected. These are divided into excellent, good and sensitive to environmental causes, according to the environmental convergence index, which uses the tool o Green Lighthouse. The same platform also mapped so-called anti-environmentalists or those opposed to environmental issues, totaling 97 in 2022. Of these, 61 were re-elected.
“Both those in favor and against lost the same number of parliamentarians. There were 36 losses of parliamentarians, for and against environmental issues”, explains Malu Ribeiro, Director of Public Policies at SOS Mata Atlântica.
The conclusion, therefore, is that there is still numbers and strength for the green bench in Congress. “The situation in the Chamber of Deputies is not so bad. The same happens in the Senate: there were 8 from the Front, 3 were not re-elected, but we gained 5 new ones who are sensitive to the environmental agenda and it is possible that they will join the parliamentary front. Even though we have new senators who were [Bolsonaro's] ministers and who defend the conservative customs agenda”, says Malu. See below:
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In addition to those re-elected, the Environmentalist Parliamentary Front must be expanded with new parliamentarians who are being mapped. According to Malu Ribeiro, the objective is to look for these new deputies – such as two transsexuals elected for the first time – and others who have an agenda of diversity, gender and inclusion and can also start defending green causes. “We have deputy Taliria Petrone (Psol) who received the most votes, and is coordinator of the GT Water, Gender and Climate Security, on the environmentalist front”, recalls Malu, who also mentions the deputy from Tabata Amaral (PSB), as a re-elect which proved to be a partner for the environment.
“We have a glass full, important, for two scenarios: with Lula/Alckmin elected, a more progressive sustainable development agenda and a climate agenda of greater international relevance. But, in the other scenario – Bolsonaro’s re-election – there is a good resistance group to face anti-environmental issues, as we are experiencing now”
Malu Ribeiro
Watch this excerpt from the interview Curto Verde with Malu Ribeiro:
More favorable scenario in 2022 than in 2018
“Unlike in 2018, the environmental agenda occupied a space in political debates this year, it occupied spaces of relevance for the candidacies, it was not hidden or attacked, as happened in 2018. Those who attack the environment, in fact, are the extreme right who does not see the importance of socio-environmental issues for the country”, assesses Malu Ribeiro.
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Despite the elections of Ricardo Sales (PL) as federal deputy – the former Minister of the Environment who said to “pass the herd” during the covid-19 pandemic – and other former anti-environmentalist ministers of the Bolsonaro government, there were significant gains this year. year, according to Malu Ribeiro.
She cites the election of two indigenous people on Sunday (2), to the Chamber of Deputies: Sônia Guajajara and Célia Xakriabá (both for Psol). The indigenous cause also gains three other representatives for the next 4 years: Juliana Cardoso and Paulo Guedes (both from PT) and Silvia Waiãpi (PL).
Picture: Billy Boss/Chamber of Deputies
Risks to the Atlantic Forest
“There are parliamentarians who were elected with an agenda that was anti-Atlantic Forest law, anti-Forest Code, and with an agenda of amnesty for those who were degraders, and this is dangerous for the Atlantic Forest”, warns Malu Ribeiro. However, she herself concludes that “society is paying attention now” and no longer accepts fires, deforestation and polluted rivers as before.
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On the other hand, the expressive vote of the former Minister of Infrastructure Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) in the first round of the elections for the government of São Paulo, passing the PT member Fernando Haddad – who was ahead of the polls of voting intentions – is a warning point for the defense of the Atlantic Forest biome, mainly due to the “worker” profile ” of the candidate, according to Malu Ribeiro.
"It is a worrying candidacy because São Paulo was a reference in the environmental agenda in the publication of standards, in the fight against deforestation, almost reaching the zero deforestation rate in the Atlantic Forest, and could regress a lot if this labor agenda, and the privatization of several sectors - such as water, for example – happens”, says Malu Ribeiro.
But, according to the representative of SOS Mata Atlântica, the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo elected, in these elections, “very interesting and very strong benches”, linked to sustainability. “So, I believe, they won’t let the government do what it wants.”
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See also:
