Govind Tekale
President Joe Biden’s historic November 17 touchdown in Manaus marked an environmental policy watershed, as the 81-year-old leader became the first sitting U.S. president to witness the Amazon’s vastness – and its vulnerability. The visit coincided with confirmation that U.S. international climate finance reached $11 billion annually by 2024, a dramatic increase from $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2021.
During an aerial survey over the Negro River tributary, Biden observed severe erosion patterns, grounded vessels, and expansive fire damage, accompanied by Nobel laureate Carlos Nobre. The drought’s severity has left thousands of river communities isolated, with fishing operations crippled and wildfires consuming an area larger than Switzerland. “Folks, we don’t have to choose between an environment and the economy. We can do both. We’ve proven it back home,” Biden told assembled environmental scientists and Indigenous leaders at the Museu da Amazonia.
The administration’s technical achievements in climate finance have been precise and measurable. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation reached $3.7 billion in climate investments for FY24, while the Export-Import Bank increased its climate portfolio to $1.6 billion. The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) achieved its goal of scaling up adaptation finance six-fold to over $3 billion annually.
In Manaus, Biden announced a $37.5 million DFC loan to Mombak Gestora de Recursos Ltda., structured to support native tree species planting on degraded grasslands in Pará state. The project aims to sequester approximately 5 million metric tons of CO2 over 50 years. “The fight to protect our planet is literally a fight for humanity,” Biden stated, as he signed a proclamation designating November 17 as International Conservation Day.
The Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Coalition, launched with BTG Pactual and twelve partners, targets $10 billion in public and private investment by 2030. The initiative aims to restore 5.5 million hectares and achieve 1.5 gigatons of emissions reductions and removals through 2050. Indigenous communities will receive at least $500 million for projects in the Brazilian Amazon.
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Technical cooperation extends to combating illegal logging. The U.S. is providing Brazil with DART-TOFMS (Direct Analysis in Real Time Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) technology for timber identification. NOAA’s satellite monitoring system supplies data to Sistema Alarmes for daily burned area mapping, while USAID has committed $7.8 million to standardize fire management practices.
Suely Araujo, former head of Brazil’s environmental protection agency, provided a stark assessment: “We can’t expect concrete results from this visit,” doubting that “a single penny” would reach the Amazon Fund under a Trump presidency. Recent developments support her concern – Trump’s nomination of fracking executive Chris Wright as energy secretary and Argentina’s withdrawal from UN climate talks under President Javier Milei signal potential policy reversals.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s administration reports a 30.6% reduction in Amazon deforestation for the 12 months through July 2024, the lowest in nine years. However, scientific studies show the Amazon has lost an area equivalent to Germany and France combined over four decades. The region faces its worst wildfires in nearly 20 years, with drought conditions scientists link to global warming.
Global Climate Director Melanie Robinson noted the significance of the U.S. achievement: “The more than six-fold increase since fiscal year 2021 is delivering real benefits for people, nature, and avoiding dangerous climate impacts. By stepping up its efforts, the U.S. is not only supporting international climate action but also creating new markets and more resilient supply chains for its own green goods and services.”
The visit’s timing carries additional weight as UN climate talks continue in Azerbaijan, with Brazil set to host next year’s conference. At the recent Asia-Pacific gathering in Lima, Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed plans for a “smooth transition” in U.S.-China relations under Trump, while Biden’s climate initiatives face an uncertain future. The administration’s policies have attracted nearly $300 billion in private clean energy investments and created over 100,000 jobs, achievements that may soon confront significant political headwinds.
