Speech by the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, at the G20 Summit (videoconference) - Planalto Palace

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I congratulate Saudi Arabia for having chosen the motto “Realizing opportunities of the 21st century for all” as the central theme of its presidency.

I also take the opportunity to congratulate the other members of the G20 for the timely initiatives developed throughout the year.

In addition to the many instruments agreed, there was a fruitful exchange of experiences and the dissemination of best practices on various topics.

We highlight universal access to health, education and the digital economy, as well as the financial inclusion of all citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Brazil is a resilient country. We want a future of sustainable development and full of opportunities for our population.

My government has promoted the opening up of our economy, with the aim of achieving greater integration of Brazil into international trade and investment flows.

The trade agreements negotiated by MERCOSUR with the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, EFTA are evidence of our commitment. We have also started negotiations with South Korea and Canada.

I also highlight the recent agreements signed between Brazil and the USA on trade facilitation, regulatory best practices and the fight against corruption.

We are building a country open to the world, willing not only to seek new trade agreements, but also to make new and greater commitments in the areas of development and sustainability.

At the same time as we seek greater economic openness, we are aware that trade agreements are increasingly influenced by the environmental agenda.

So, let's get to the facts.

In the last 40 years, Brazil has gone from being a food importer to being one of the largest agricultural exporters in the world.

This transformation process in Brazilian agriculture results from decades of innovation and development, integrating major technological gains in efficiency and productivity.

Today, our country exports a huge volume of sustainable and quality agricultural and livestock products. We feed almost one and a half billion people and guarantee food security in several countries.

I emphasize that this true agricultural revolution in Brazil was carried out using only 8% of our land for agriculture and 19% for livestock. For this reason, about 66% of our territory is preserved retaining its native vegetation.

I am proud to present these figures and reaffirm that we will always work to maintain this high level of preservation, as well as repel unjustified attacks by less competitive and less sustainable nations.

During the challenging months of the pandemic, our agriculture has remained active and increasingly productive. We honor all of our contracts.

To promote sustainable development, we recognize the contribution of the Low Carbon Circular Economy concept, based on the “4Rs”: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remove.

We understand that efforts should be concentrated on the first “R”, which is the “Reduction” of carbon emissions. On the world stage, we are responsible for less than 3% of carbon emissions, despite being one of the 10 largest economies in the world.

For this reason, also in this respect, I am once again proud to say that Brazil has the cleanest energy matrix among the countries that make up the G20.

We hold a firm commitment to continue to preserve our environmental heritage.

We also remain determined to pursue sustainable development to its fullest, in order to integrate environmental conservation with economic and social prosperity.

What I present here are facts, not narratives. It is concrete data and not demagogic phrases that demean public debate and, in the end, hurt the very cause that they pretend to support.

My country's national anthem says that Brazil is a giant by its very nature. Rest assured that nothing will change that. We will continue to protect our Amazon, our Pantanal and all of our biomes.

Count on my country and my people to make the world truly more developed and more sustainable.

Thank you all.