Carbon credits - land grab or the Amazon’s future? - BBC News

The eight countries who share the rainforest are in Brazil for a "milestone" meeting.

12 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, Indigenous people of different ethnic groups marched in Belém for land demarcation ahead of the summitBy Katy WatsonIlha de Marajó, ParáThis week, delegates arriving in Belém's international airport are being welcomed with a lively "Boi de mascara" folkloric dance routine. In fact, the whole city is celebrating being in the spotlight, playing host to the Amazon Summit.

It also feels like a bit of a warm-up for 2025 when the city will host COP30. These two events are a big deal for this part of Brazil - a region that often feels forgotten. Belém is well placed too, as the capital of Pará, the state with the highest deforestation rate in Brazil.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called this summit to bring together the eight South American countries who share a slice of the Amazon.

Image caption, Representatives from the eight countries which share the Amazon will attendIt is the first time in 45 years that there has been a meeting like this, ensuring a regional response to combat crime and deforestation as well as climate change.

"I think the world needs to look at this meeting in Belém as a milestone," President Lula told the BBC last week.