The Secretaries of the Environment of 21 Brazilian State Capitals announced the Rio Charter for Sustainability today (May 17), suggesting the creation of funds based on the taxation of non-sustainable products and services. The document, which also puts forward other recommendations, was read at the closure of the Meeting of Secretaries of the Environment of Brazilian State Capitals.

The Deputy Mayor of Rio de Janeiro and Municipal Secretary for the Environment, Carlos Alberto Muniz, explained that the objective is to fund sustainable actions. "It is the polluter pays principle. If an activity pollutes and we are unable to substitute it immediately, it is required to contribute a percentage to a sustainability fund. In Rio the issue is on the table to be discussed with the City Environmental Council, in order to arrive at a means for effective implementation", he said.

The meeting served to refine actions and exchange experiences between State Capital municipal authorities, since according to the United Nations (UN), 80% of the world's population now lives in urban areas. According to Muniz, solutions for the environment in Brazil and the world necessarily involve local governments.

"We were able to agree on a commitment, signed by all, to strive for ways to ensure that local government programs always seek ways of enabling our cities to be ever more sustainable. The environment is where we live and how we live. That is the development model that we want", he said.

Source:
Agência Brasil