COP27: Amazon on the verge of a new future

President Lula, who was responsible for the historical 80% reduction of the deforestation of the Amazon, is now committed to fight for zero deforestation and to protect Indigenous peoples’ rights, which are central for Brazil’s climate solutions. Lula will face many challenges to rebuild Brazil’s environmental policies within a divided country, a Congress dominated by rightwing parties and a profound economic crisis, but has already begun to receive public support from international leaders to work with him on his new green agenda of the country.

Watch the recording of our key speakers discussing what is at stake, what are the plans and what are the main contributions that the international community could offer to protect the future of the Amazon forest and of its people in the next coming years.

Listen to our podcast of the event below.

Speakers include:

Joênia Wapichana, Brazil’s First-Ever Indigenous Congresswoman

First Brazilian Indigenous leader elected Congresswoman, first Indigenous lawyer to argue before Brazil’s Supreme Court, a member of the Wapichana people. Joenia is the Sustainability Leader of Rede, her political party; and coordinator of the parliamentarian caucus in defense of Indigenous Peoples rights in the Congress.

Mauro O’ de Almeida, Environment Secretary of the State of Pará

Since 2019, Mauro has been the Secretary of Environment and Sustainability of Pará State. With a Masters in Law from the Federal University of Pará, he was head of the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Pará State from 2004 to 2011 and the head of the Legal Consultancy of the Ministry of the Environment from 2011 to 2016.

Txai Suruí, coordinator of the Movement of Indigenous Youth of Rondônia State

An Indigenous activist from the Amazon forest, the only Brazilian to speak at the opening ceremony of COP26 in Glasgow last year. Txai leads the Rondônia Indigenous Youth Movement and the Kanindé Association and was one of the executive producers of “The Territory”, a film that won the Audience Award for World Documentary Cinema at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

Márcio Astrini, executive director of the Climate Observatory

Executive-Secretary of the Climate Observatory (Observatório do Clima in Portuguese), a network of 77 Brazilian civil society organisations working on the socio-environmental and climate agenda for 20 years. Before joining the OC, he was the Public Policy Coordinator for Greenpeace Brazil.

Carlos Rittl, International Policy Adviser of Rainforest Foundation Norway and Cristiane Fontes, Brazil and Regional Partnerships Lead of Global Canopy moderated the session.