How did Lula da Silva cut Amazon deforestation in half?
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 747 Ratings
🗓️ 25 August 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office more than a year ago, he pledged to end deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. He’s on the right track: Last year, the forest shrank 50% less than in 2022. But the clock is ticking. Will Lula manage to keep his word? The world’s largest tropical rainforest is at stake.
This is a story from the archives. It originally aired June 23, 2024. None of the dates, titles or other references from that time have been changed.
In this episode:
- Constance Malleret (@Constancemlrt), Journalist
Episode credits:
This episode was originally produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Chloe K. Li, and Manahil Naveed with Mohamed Zain Shafi Khan, and our host Malika Bilal.
The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid and Kisaa Zehra. Our host is Malika Bilal.
Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Aya Elmileik is lead of audience engagement.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, we're throwing it back with an audio-only episode that feels more relevant than ever. |
| 0:17.6 | COP 30 is just around the corner, and this year Brazil is hosting the UN's big climate summit. |
| 0:23.6 | President Luis Enacio Lula de Silva sees it as a chance to shine. |
| 0:27.6 | He wants to be seen as a global leader on the environment. |
| 0:31.6 | The summit will take place in Belang, the gateway to the Amazon. |
| 0:35.6 | But behind the scenes, political tension is brewing in Brazil. |
| 0:41.0 | A bill nicknamed the devastation law has sparked heated debate. It's been 20 years in the |
| 0:46.3 | making. Critics say it could tear down decades of environmental protections. The bill could open the door |
| 0:52.8 | to controversial projects, like drilling for oil in the Amazon |
| 0:56.1 | Riverbed. |
| 0:57.5 | Activists warn it could trigger a dangerous oil rush. |
| 1:01.3 | Lula also wants to repave a road through one of the best preserved parts of the rainforest. |
| 1:06.6 | Still, if there's one thing Lula can point to, it's Brazil's progress on deforestation. |
| 1:12.1 | That might be his strongest card to play at COP 30. |
| 1:15.9 | Now, a quick note before we dive in, all titles, dates, and references in this episode are from the time this originally aired. |
| 1:23.5 | Enjoy. |
| 1:32.6 | Music. Enjoy. Today, will Brazil's president Luis Inacio Lula de Silva fulfill his promise to stop the Amazon |
| 1:39.7 | rainforest from shrinking by 2030? |
| 1:43.1 | Last year, eight trees were cut down per second. |
| 2:00.0 | The progress he's made is undeniable, but the challenge is colossal. I'm Natasha Dalturo, and this is the take. take. |
| 2:04.1 | The Amazon is the biggest forest on our planet, and in some ways the most important. |
... |
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