BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) 鈥� Brazil鈥檚 government on Tuesday approved joining OPEC+, a group of major oil-exporting nations, signaling the country鈥檚 evolution into a major oil state just nine months ahead of hosting the United Nations鈥� annual climate summit.
The National Council for Energy Policy鈥檚 approval came in response to an official invitation in 2023. includes the 12 members of OPEC, the longstanding group set up to coordinate oil production to stabilize markets, plus 10 more significant oil-producing nations with Russia by far the largest.
Though non-OPEC members agree to cooperate with OPEC nations, Brazil won鈥檛 have any binding obligation such as production cuts, Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira said at a news conference. The participation will be limited to the Charter of Cooperation, a permanent forum for OPEC and OPEC+ countries to discuss industry-related issues. The South American country will not participate in decisions.
Silveira called the charter merely 鈥渁 forum for discussing strategies among oil-producing countries. We should not be ashamed of being oil producers. Brazil needs to grow, develop and create income and jobs.鈥�
President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva began his third term in 2023 touting himself as an environmental defender, and has worked to reduce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and to protect Indigenous rights. But he has also argued that new oil revenues could finance a transition to green energy.
In recent weeks, he has regulator to approve exploratory drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River, one of the most biodiverse regions of the world.
Brazil is the world鈥檚 with about 4.3 million barrels daily, or 4% of the world麓s output, according to Energy Information Administration, a U.S. government agency. In 2024, crude oil became the country麓s top export product, accounting for 13.3% of Brazil鈥檚 foreign sales, surpassing soy.
The U..S. is the world鈥檚 largest producer at nearly 22 million barrels daily, with Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in OPEC, at about 11 million barrels.
Brazil麓s move is 鈥渃omprehensive and coherent,鈥� said Lu铆s Eduardo Duque Dutra, an oil expert and a professor in the chemistry department at the Federal University of Rio Janeiro. He noted that, along with OPEC+, the energy council also approved the country麓s membership in two other bodies, the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency.
鈥淭his helps keep track of the global situation, matching the country鈥檚 growing importance after developing pre-salt (offshore oil) reserves and its wind and solar energy potentials,鈥� he told The Associated Press. He also said Brazil would benefit from relations with the other countries: 鈥淚n times of trade wars, information is as valuable as gold.鈥�
Lula鈥檚 pursuit of increased oil production, however, has met criticism as Brazil prepares to host the UN climate summit known as COP30 in November. A central push of the annual climate talks has been to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which when burned releases greenhouse gases that heat the planet.
鈥淏razil鈥檚 entrance to any OPEC body is another sign of the government鈥檚 setback,鈥� says Suely Ara煤jo, a spokesperson of the Climate Observatory, a network of 133 environmental, civil society and academic groups. Opening up new areas for fossil fuel exploration 鈥渋ndicates that we are choosing solutions from the past in the face of a huge challenge for the present and the future,鈥� Araujo said.
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Fabiano Maisonnave, The Associated Press
