Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Government ministers are returning to Egypt to take over negotiations at this year's U.N. climate talks, providing diplomats with the political backing they need to clinch credible agreements that would help prevent disastrous levels of warming in the coming decades.

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault visited South America to rally support for biodiversity and nature conservation ahead of a critical United Nations conference being held in Montreal.

Satellite images taken between January and June show 4,000 square kilometres of forest destroyed — four times the size of New York City.