Lula: ‘The Planet Cannot Wait’

The president’s speech was read by Minister João Paulo Capobianco at COP31, and he called for leadership in protecting biomes.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva argued on Wednesday (11) that the planet can no longer wait while wars and trade conflicts consume time and scarce resources. The speech was given during the Leaders’ Summit on Forests at the 31st United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP31) , in Antalya, Turkey.

The president treats the postponement of climate decisions as a cost the world can no longer afford , and the message is directed at the rainforests.

Lula links lack of climate commitments to threat to forests.

The president requested that the speech be read by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, João Paulo Capobianco. In the statement, Lula assessed that the lack of commitment to reducing emissions and decarbonizing economies is a serious threat to tropical forests .

Capobianco warns of the risk of a point of no return in these biomes. “If these biomes pass their point of no return, the global climate balance could be disrupted.”

When discussing the relationship between conservation and development, the message argues that the notion of incompatibility between the two belongs to the past.“We are on a path that places countries with tropical forests at the center of global climate decisions, no longer as part of the problem, but as key players.”

Speech calls for leadership and presents results in the environmental field.

The message also criticized the lack of leadership in preserving tropical forests and highlighted that, throughout 2026, addressing climate change was left off the agenda of political and economic forums such as the G7 and G20 , which bring together the world’s largest economies.

In the text read, the president stated that the defense and development of the Amazon occupied a central place in his third term and that this scenario will remain throughout his fourth. He then describes Brazil’s strategy for the forest : “Brazil combines prevention, economic instruments, recovery of native vegetation, and bioeconomy to transform the standing forest into a source of income and competitiveness.”

The president detailed the country’s goals and results in the environmental area. “We are on track to maintain or expand the area of ​​native vegetation in our biomes by 2030, as we have committed to. We have recorded a historic reduction in deforestation in all biomes. In the Amazon, there was a 70% decrease. In the Cerrado, almost 50%.”

The speech also cited the official recognition of 20 indigenous territories since 2023, the resumption of the Amazon Fund with an increased number of partners, and the addition of 2.5 million hectares of
protected areas to Brazil’s environmental heritage . In summarizing this assessment, the text proposes a
shift in terminology for the region: “We are transforming the arc of destruction in the Amazon into the arc of restoration.“

Não tem nada que me emocione mais do que sentir esse carinho sincero, que não conhece fronteiras. Hoje, na COP 31, na Turquia, fui recebido por pessoas de diferentes partes do mundo com abraços, sorrisos e palavras de afeto. Levo cada gesto comigo. É gratificante encontrar pessoas que compartilham da esperança de construir um mundo melhor. Muito obrigado por tanto carinho! ❤️🇧🇷 🎥 @ricardostuckert #LulaNaCOP31

— Lula (@LulaOficial) November 11, 2026