BRASILIA, 21 August 2019— Amidst unprecedented polarisation in the country, an unexpected consensus point arises among Brazilian citizens: on the left and  right, more than 90% of voters  want their leaders to intensify the actions against deforestation in the Amazon. These conclusions,  from a new IBOPE/Avaaz survey  “ Perceptions on the Amazon”, come at the same time as a massive increase in Amazon deforestation.
 
In parallel, with the aid of the Demodata Institute, Avaaz carried out a similar survey with congresspeople from all political parties and found a similar consensus: 93% of the congresspeople who participated in the survey agree that the Amazon should be preserved - and 80% of the congresspeople of the Agricultural Parliamentary Front believe that the deforestation of the Amazon is jeopardizing Brazil’s businesses and image.
 
The poll is part of a campaign run by Avaaz calling on the government to tackle the Amazon crisis. That demand was supported by 2.3 million people around the world. On Wednesday, Avaaz staff, joined by dozens of school children and supporters, will present their demands inside the halls of Congress to take action against illegal deforestation.
 
 
 
Diego Casaes, Senior Campaigner at Avaaz, says:
 
“While the general assumption is that Conservatives and Progressives can’t agree when it comes to the Amazon, our surveys show that congresspeople and voters across the political spectrum *can* agree on one thing: they’re proud of the Amazon and want it protected -- for the health of Brazil, and for the world.” 
 
IBOPE says:
 
"By comparing the results of the total of the sample with the results obtained among the respondents that spontaneously declared to have voted for Jair Bolsonaro on the second round of elections, we can see that voters of the president show agreement levels similar to Brazilians in general. No substantial differences are observed between these groups, only variations within the margin of error of the survey (3 percentage points, see below)" 
 

% Totally or partially agree	Total of the Sample	Voted for Jair Bolsonaro on the second round
Amazon is a source of national pride	88	90
Amazon is essential for the survival of wild animals	98	97
Amazon is essential for the health of the environment in Brazil	97	95
Amazon is essential for Brazil’s pride	95	93
Amazon is essential for Brazil’s identity	94	93
Amazon is essential for the health of the environment in the world	94	93
Amazon is essential for the Brazilian economy	87	84
The President Jair Bolsonaro and the Federal Government should increase the inspection measures to prevent illegal deforestation in the Amazon	96	96
The illegal deforestation of the Amazon is concerning	93	94
The President Jair Bolsonaro and the Federal Government should adopt a “zero tolerance” policy against illegal deforestation in the Amazon	91	92
The National Congress should assume more responsibilities so that Brazil reaches zero illegal deforestation in the Amazon	89	88

 
 
The survey was published on Wednesday, coinciding with the delivery of 2.3 million signatures of an Avaaz petition against the illegal deforestation of the Amazon by dozens of children, during a joint event with the Environmental Parliamentary Front, the Sustainable Development and Environmental Commission, and the Subcommission for Agroenvironmental Affairs. Congresspeople and Senators of different political parties received the document and a box with hundreds of seeds of different flowers, representing hope for the blossoming of a new future.
 
 
More information: Nana Queiroz, nana@avaaz.org /+55 (11) 95865-7515 / www.avaaz.org
 
 
About Avaaz: Avaaz is a non-profit online mobilisation community that takes the voice of the civil society to decision-making spaces around the world, with a community of over 13 million people in Brazil



Main findings of the polls:

IBOPE: