Brazil's Lula Calls for Global Climate Action Amiddomestic Fire Crisis

President Lula of Brazil will call for stronger global climate action at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, Brazil faces criticism for environmental mismanagement as the Amazon suffers record fires. Lula's administration has conflicting policies, with pledges for environmental protection and intentions to tap oil reserves.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil is set to urge the global community to intensify efforts against climate change during his address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Concurrently, his administration faces intense scrutiny over its handling of unprecedented fires in the Amazon rainforest.

The Amazon experienced 38,000 fires last month, the highest number for any August since 2010, according to Brazil's space institute. September is poised to continue this worrying trend, with extensive smoke affecting cities as far as Sao Paulo. Lula has attributed these fires to criminal activity, promising harsher penalties for environmental violations.

His administration's response has been complicated by a prolonged strike at environmental regulator Ibama and mixed messages regarding environmental and energy policies. While Lula advocates for global environmental action, he has also discussed exploiting oil reserves near the Amazon River, raising concerns among environmentalists.

(With inputs from agencies.)