Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest

On 30 April 2024 the European Economic and Social Committee is hosting a half-day hybrid public hearing in the framework of its opinion on the Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest – impact on climate change and the global environment; consequences for companies, workers and population.

The purpose of the hearing will be to contribute to the EESC own-initiative opinion by collecting suggestions on how to tackle the burning issue of deforestation which affects the whole world and impacts our societies in so many different ways.

There is a clear connection between the health of the Amazon and the health of our planet.

The Earth suffers from the undeniable climate crisis, and it is widely acknowledged that the logging of the "Earth's green lungs" and other tropical rainforests destabilizes global climate patterns, contributing to desertification and leading to extreme weather events in various, even distant parts of the world. At the same time, the Amazon region is home to more than 40 million people, including over 400 Indigenous groups who live there and depend on natural resources for food, clothing and traditional medicine.

It is also becoming clear that policing actions are not enough to stop the deforestation. Some believe that it would make a real difference to create different ways of subsistence for the local populations – safer, more profitable, more stable. If human activities could shift towards more sustainable, would it indeed save the rainforests and slow down or perhaps revert the global warming? And, crucially, if it is possible to do it, then how, amidst conflicting interests, internal and external shocks and pressures?

At the upcoming hearing, our invited speakers will debate local and global impacts of the deforestation of the Amazonian Forest. Experts and stakeholders will shed the light on various interests in play, analysing different scenarios and unwrapping, on one hand, what is there to gain from progressive logging, and on the other, what could be the benefits from preserving the rainforest. Furthermore, we will inquire how the EU is engaging with the partner countries and the region on the matter and what can be achieved with international community, also in the framework of the regional cooperation. We will listen to stakeholders proposing solutions which respect the interests of the employers, workers and populations. And, finally, we will discuss the role of the Latin American and European civil society in driving the change.

Where: at the EESC and online (the event will be webstreamed and recorded)

When:  Tuesday 30 April 2024 2.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m.

Register here to participate online or in-person by 29 April 2024, 12:00. Kindly note that the number of seats is limited.

You may also follow the event via webstreaming.

Languages of the hearing (participants can speak and listen to): English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

For further information, please contact the REX Section Secretariat.

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