Blue wave? Meh. It’s the Brazil election that matters at COP

🔦 Navigate COP31 unmissable events with our Insider's Guide

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received a hero’s welcome at COP31 in Antalya, with diplomats and climate leaders celebrating his reelection as a major victory for global climate diplomacy
• His triumph over far-right challenger Flavio Bolsonaro has renewed optimism among negotiators seeking continuity in Brazil’s environmental leadership

🔭 The context: Under Lula, Amazon deforestation has fallen to its lowest level in 40 years, reinforcing Brazil’s importance in international climate efforts
• His victory comes amid mounting global climate setbacks, including the United States’ withdrawal from the UN climate process under Donald Trump and increasingly bleak prospects for meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target
• However, Lula’s environmental record remains mixed, notably because of plans to expand oil exploration in the Amazon

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Brazil’s political direction matters enormously for the Amazon, a critical ecosystem and major climate regulator
• Continued forest protection could help preserve recent progress against deforestation, while expanding fossil fuel exploration risks undermining those gains

⏭️ What’s next: Climate diplomats hope Lula’s renewed mandate will consolidate progress made during Brazil’s COP presidency and strengthen international cooperation
• Meanwhile, expectations for the U.S. midterm results to influence negotiations remain limited, as Democrats have largely focused their campaigns on affordability and corruption rather than climate

💬 One quote: “Brazilians have showed that the fight against climate change goes beyond diplomatic halls. It is waged by the vote of each woman, of each man who wishes to make a difference,” — Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

📈 One stat: Amazon deforestation under Lula has reached its lowest levels in 40 years, according to the article.

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