Deforestation in the Amazon is non-negotiable; see other highlights Curto Verde

🌳No negotiation

Eleven international and Brazilian NGOs, which accuse the French supermarket chain Casino of indirectly participating in deforestation in Amazon This Thursday (1st), they refused judicial mediation and hope that the case will be decided in court.

“The eleven organizations that filed a lawsuit against Casino rejected the mediation proposed” in June by a French judge, the coalition formed by environmental groups and indigenous federations said in a statement. “This matter must be the subject of public debate and a judicial ruling,” he added.

Among the organizations are Sherpa, Mighty Eearth, Envol vert, the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (Coiab) and the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (Opiac).

They all accuse Casino of failing to fulfill its mission of monitoring and respecting human rights and the environment throughout its supply chain. The complaint is based on a report published in June by the Franco-Colombian NGO Envol vert (*)

This document lists four farms involved in the deforestation illegal in the Amazon and Cerrado in Brazil, 52 products sold in the group’s “stores and butchers”.

“These farms alone represent 4.500 hectares of forests illegally deforested to make way for livestock farming. The same happened with protected indigenous lands”, highlights the report.

Casino has a total of more than 11.000 supermarkets. In Brazil, its subsidiary is the Pão de Açúcar group (GPA).

Since March 2017, French legislation has obliged companies based in France to adopt effective measures to prevent human rights violations and damage to the environment.

When the complaint was filed in June, the French multinational assured that its subsidiaries are among “the most advanced companies in the sector in the fight against deforestation”.

🌱 Impact of the new European law on Brazilian slaughterhouses

The entry into force of the new European Union law – which prevents the purchase of agricultural commodities associated with deforestation – will leave Brazil's 3 largest beef exporters subject to trade sanctions.

Europeans want to reinforce the project that aims to ban imports that contribute to deforestation

When voting on the proposed law – which will require companies to guarantee that products sold in the European Union (EU) do not come from global deforestation – the European Parliament called, this Tuesday (13), for a stricter plan, which includes expanding its scope of action to rubber and the financial sector.

Second a survey carried out by Chain Reaction Research (🇬🇧), an entity that investigates sustainability risks in agricultural chains, suppliers of slaughterhouses JBS, Marfrig e Minerva Foods have operated in at least 72,6 thousand hectares of deforested land since December 31, 2020. Around 90% of the deforested area is in the Amazon, and the remainder, in Cerrado.

The expectation is that the ban on imports of products linked to the felling of native vegetation – legal or not in the country of origin – will come into force at the beginning of 2023. The study considered the cutoff date proposed by the European Commission, but it could still be changed.

🚚 Tesla delivers its first electric truck

The American automaker Tesla delivered its first electric truck, the Semi, built to handle long journeys and aiming to revolutionize the emerging market for battery-powered heavy-duty vehicles.

With its elegant design, the Semi has been eagerly awaited since Elon Musk revealed a prototype in 2017. According to Musk, the truck can travel 805 kilometers without recharging its battery, while the current range of electric vehicles offers a range of 400 to 480 kilometers.

In 2017 the Tesla had announced that it would offer two versions of the Semi – one for US$ 150.000, and another for US$ 180.000 –, but no mention of values ​​was made at the event this Thursday (1st).

Today it costs 70% more to buy an electric truck than to buy a diesel truck. In terms of fuel and maintenance, however, it is cheaper.

🛫 Battery for cars and planes

A Renault S.A. and the Airbus se have come together to develop battery technology for next-generation cars and planes.

The companies' engineering teams will jointly research and develop solutions to improve energy storage, one of the hurdles for long-range electric vehicles. The partnership will also help Airbus develop technology for hybrid-electric aircraft.

Companies deal withpromewill have to analyze the entire life cycle of future batteries, including recycling to reduce carbon footprint.

Calculate your carbon footprint; see other highlights Curto Verde

Discover the carbon footprint calculator launched by National Geographic Brasil – by filling in some questions about your consumption habits and daily actions, the tool estimates the tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) you emit in a year; Unicef ​​report points out that 40 million Brazilian girls and boys are exposed to more than one climate or environmental risk; and a study reveals that Brazil could become the largest net zero nation in the world.

(To AFP)

Read also

The challenges for an agreement at COP15 on biodiversity

Delegates from almost 200 countries begin a conference on biodiversity, COP15, next week to try to reach a major global pact to preserve animal and plant species amid climate change. But the negotiations still present several divergent points. Find out the crucial objectives for reaching an agreement in Montreal.

Curto Verde is a daily summary of what you need to know about the environment, sustainability and other topics linked to our survival and that of the planet.

(🚥): may require registration and/or signature 

(🇬🇧): content in English

(*): content in other languages ​​is translated by Google Tradutor