Yesterday we kicked off the first in a series of “Breakfasts with Governors from the Brazilian Amazon and critical US policymakers” hosted by the Wilson Center and the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force.
Amazonas state Governor Wilson Lima and Secretary of the Environment Eduardo Taveira spoke of how poverty reduction must be central to reducing deforestation. Conservation requires partnerships with multiple actors, from governments, private sector and civil society. Governor Lima emphasized: “No one protects the tropical forest better than the people of the forest.”
Secretary Taveira highlighted some challenges for sustainable production chains in commodities such as acai: “we are promoting partnerships to develop technologies for clean water, energy, and communications to improve logistics in isolated communities.
US governmental leaders spoke of the need for innovative private-sector partnerships to facilitate payments for environmental services and the barriers in programs as REDD+.
We look forward to hosting other GCF Governors in the months to come, and to helping to seed substantive North-South partnerships!