On June 21, on the eve of a summit aimed at creating “a new global financing pact”, which proposes to establish an agreement between the North and the South to tackle climate change and inequalities in development, a letter was released signed by 13 world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron (host of the summit), Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sunak, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Fumio Kishida. The letter calls for a commitment to a “green transition that leaves no one behind” and the adoption of “new economic models that recognize the immense value of nature for humanity”; sees in the fulfillment of the decarbonisation objectives established in the Paris Agreement “an opportunity for this generation to enter a new era of sustainable economic growth at a global level”; expresses the conviction that “reducing poverty and protecting the planet are converging objectives”; and counts on the commitment of the global financial system (without excluding private banks) in the fight against poverty and inequality.

They are words that radiate nobility, high ideals and faith in the best of human nature, but whose splendor fades as soon as they are confronted with the book. Benefit: An Environmental Storyby Mark Stoll, recently published in Portugal by Edições 70 and which is the subject of this article.

“Fill the earth and subdue it”

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