The French president states that he has had lengthy discussions with US President Donald Trump and that Trump supports the initiative. That despite the fact that the US president himself did not attend the climate summit.

- He wasn't in the room, but his team was, says Macron.

Emmanuel Macron refers to the Amazon rainforests as "the lungs of the earth," and says G7 leaders are looking at similar support for rainforest fires on the African continent.

Brazil's Minister for the Environment welcomes the G7 countries' contributions, reports Reuters.

"Reckless attack"

Later Sunday, Bolsonaro criticized Macron's proposal on Twitter, claiming that Macron's proposal for international action treats Brazil as a colony, reports Reuters.

"We cannot accept French President Emmanuel Macron's inappropriate and ruthless attack on the Amazon, nor that he conceals his intentions," Bolsonaro writes.

He also wrote that he spoke with Colombia's President about a joint plan for the Amazon to protect the sovereignty and natural resources of the countries.

Extensive fires

In recent weeks, thousands of forest fires have raged in the Amazon rainforests. According to Brazil's space research institute, 99 percent of fires appear to be intentional or unintentionally caused by humans.

The fires, and Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro's actions around them, have drawn criticism from the outside world. Among other things, Brazil's Minister of the Environment was summoned during the UN Climate Conference in Salvador, Brazil.