Through his office window, the head of Brazil’s state-run oil company looked out at the cluttered landscape of Rio de Janeiro.
Looking back at him, across the city’s run-down high-rises, was the looming statue of Christ the Redeemer.
This, even as his country positions itself as a leader in the fight against climate change which, of course, is primarily driven by the burning of oil and other fossil fuels.
Petrobras already pumps about as much crude oil per year as ExxonMobil, according to Rystad Energy, a market research firm.
It’s an enormous predicament for Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known simply as Lula, who has fashioned himself as the pre-eminent world leader on climate issues.
Persons:
Christ, Hawks, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Lula
Organizations:
Redeemer, Petrobras, ExxonMobil, Rystad Energy, Saudi
Locations:
Rio de Janeiro, China, Russia, Kuwait