Climate change and the climate crisis are no longer a future issue on the agenda of global leaders. And with challenges knocking at the door, RenovaBR kicked off the open classes of Inter-American Public Leadership Program – an initiative of the OAS and the Democracy+ Network – bringing the topic to the center of the debate, with the inaugural lecture “Challenges and Solutions for Global Sustainability”. 

The meeting, which took place on Tuesday night (20), was attended by the founder of RenovaBR, Eduardo Mufarej, as well as the Secretary of the Environment of Espírito Santo (ES), Felipe Rigoni, and the leader Isabela Rahal, who is currently part of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group. The participants reflected on the impact of climate change on the lives of the entire population, in small and large cities, as well as on how Latin American countries have the potential to be protagonists in climate mitigation and adaptation. 

Sustainability and the role of Latin American leaders

RenovaBR founder Eduardo Mufarej explains that sustainability is the way to ensure our basic survival. During his speech, he points out that the frequency of climate events, which can cause water and food shortages, will become more common, intensifying the need to think about public and business policies that act both in the preservation and protection of the environment. “The climate crisis does not respect borders. Deforestation can affect rainfall limits in another part of the continent and it is essential to understand this so that there can be global and local cooperation”, he comments. 

In addition to the practical challenges of the climate crisis, Felipe Rigoni shares about the ideological impasses surrounding the issue and the importance of Latin American leaders in the environmental agenda. According to him, it is necessary to build consensus on the importance of sustainable development in public management. “This is not just a government issue. It is also a matter for the private sector, civil society and leaders. Latin America holds approximately 50% of the world's biodiversity. And this brings us a great responsibility and opportunity regarding solutions to climate change,” Rigoni points out.

“This year, we have a great deal of opportunity to discuss climate adaptation in Latin America during COP30,” emphasizes Isabela Rahal. The leader provides examples of global agreements and ongoing financing to address climate change and points out that combating the current crisis requires grassroots participation and participation from the global south. She also explains that the inequalities we already face daily in society tend to increase when we talk about environmental decline, and therefore, creating public policies in this context is both challenging and necessary.