Brazilian President Lula demands more action on climate change

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called for more drastic action to try to combat climate change.

"2024 is heading to be the hottest year in modern history. Hurricanes in the Caribbean, typhoons in Asia, drought and floods in Africa and torrential rains in Europe are leaving a trail of death and destruction," Lula said at the 79th General Debate of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Devastating fires in Brazil, the worst in 20 years, have brought home to him how serious the crisis is.

"Forest fires have spread across the entire country and have already devoured 5 million hectares in August alone. We have already done a lot, but we know that we need to do more," he added.

June to October is forest fire season in Brazil. The trees are usually felled first and the deforested areas are then set on fire to create new pasture and arable land for soya cultivation, but fires can then go out of control.

Given the Amazon rainforest can bind immense amounts of the greenhouse gas CO2, fires and deforestation have a significant impact on the world's climate.