President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the Hannover Messe in Germany on Sunday, criticizing the European Union for insisting on 'false narratives' about Brazilian agribusiness. He defended the sustainability of the country's biofuels amid trade barriers. Brazil is the honored country at the fair for the second time.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke at the opening ceremony of Hannover Messe, the world's leading industrial fair, on Sunday (19). Welcomed with military honors by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Brazilian president highlighted the country's clean energy matrix.
"Brazil can help the European Union lower energy costs and decarbonize. For that, the bloc's rules must consider the clean energy matrix used in our production processes," Lula stated. He criticized additional barriers to biofuels agreements as counterproductive from environmental and energy perspectives.
Lula stressed: "It is also necessary to combat false narratives regarding the sustainability of our agriculture." He noted that Brazil produces biofuels sustainably, without compromising food crops or deforestation, using 30% ethanol in gasoline and 15% in biodiesel blends.
The president cited deforestation reductions: 50% in the Amazon and 32% in the Cerrado over the last three years, aiming for zero by 2030. He referenced the Pró-Álcool program and ethanol engines showcased by Volkswagen and Mercedes at the 1980 fair, when he was imprisoned for leading strikes. The EU-Mercosur agreement takes effect in May.
On Monday (20), Lula will tour the fair with Merz and visit Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg with union leaders. The European trip ends Tuesday in Lisbon.
