Relations between Brazil and Norway in the Environmental Area: comparative analysis between the first two Lula governments and Jair Bolsonaro’s administration

comparative analysis between the first two Lula governments and Jair Bolsonaro’s administration

Abstract

Bilateral relations between Brazil and Norway in the area of the environment became intense at the beginning of the 21st century. The time frame of this research covers the first Luís Inácio Lula da Silva governments (2003-2010) and the presidency of Jair Messias Bolsonaro (2019-2022). The period from 2003 to 2010 was marked by convergence between the two countries in the environmental area, but from 2019 onwards, such bilateral relations were permeated by tensions and conflicts. Norway was the largest donor to the Amazon Fund between 2009-2019, having canceled its donations during the Bolsonaro government. The hypothesis of the research is that there was a change of program in relations between countries (changes in the methods or means by which problems are solved by foreign policy) between the countries mentioned. This occurred due to the divergent worldviews of the Brazilian environmental policy formulators of the first two Lula governments and the Bolsonaro administration. In methodological terms, the following data collec-tion and analysis techniques were employed: academic literature review, examination of primary sources and material published in the press. The theoretical framework was based on authors who examine the impact of ideas on foreign policy. In the analysis of the results, it is clear that the period of greatest rapprochement between Brazil and Norway occurred when Brazil adopted an active stance on environmental issues, while the Bolsonaro government’s defense of negationist theses led to the tension of these bilateral relations in environmental field.