U.S. President Joe Biden became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon rainforest on the 17th (local time). He also decided to designate November 17th of every year as 'International Conservation Day.'
According to the White House and the Associated Press, after concluding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit schedule in Lima, Peru, President Biden visited the Amazon on the 17th before attending the Group of Twenty (G20) summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the 18th and 19th. He toured the Amazon from a helicopter along with Amazon ecology expert Dr. Carlos Nobre and U.S. climate envoy John Podesta. He also met with indigenous leaders to reaffirm the U.S. government's commitment to preserving the rainforest.
President Biden signed a document designating November 17th of every year as 'International Conservation Day.' In a statement, he emphasized, "I have become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Amazon and proclaim International Conservation Day," adding, "This reflects all the challenges we face in the fight against climate change and honors the power and potential of ecosystem conservation." He further stated, "On International Conservation Day, we renew our commitment to protecting natural heritage in cooperation with nations and partners worldwide."
On the same day, President Biden also announced an additional $50 million donation to the Amazon Fund, on top of the existing $50 million. Furthermore, he pledged the launch of the 'Brazil Restoration and Bioeconomy Finance Alliance' to promote $10 billion in public and private investments for land restoration and bioeconomy-related projects by 2030, $37.5 million in loan support for Amazon reforestation projects, and technological cooperation for monitoring illegal logging. However, the Amazon Fund requires budget approval from the U.S. Congress. Additionally, with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in January next year, the continuity of these policy initiatives remains uncertain.
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