Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil has become known as the world’s biggest renegade when it comes to environmental policy, especially now that Donald Trump has vacated the White House. Under Bolsonaro, Brazil’s deforestation rates grew to historical peaks. The Amazon is not the only biome under threat of disappearance in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

With COP26 happening in Glasgow and so many people expecting tighter commitments to fight climate change, Bolsonaro’s government is promoting a big marketing strategy to position Brazil at the future of the green economy. In view of its previous record, recent pledges to reduce and even stop deforestation may sound like previous lies and half-truths Bolsonaro has told at United Nations meetings.

Yet there is reason to believe that the new Brazilian environment minister, Joaquim Leite, really intends to implement initiatives for preserving native forests. However, this is not because of authentic environmental concerns. Rather, Leite and the corporate interests he is promoting see an opportunity to make new profits and deflect attention from the measures that are really necessary to fight climate change.