Four Brazilians to Watch at COP30 in the Amazon: Ministers, Scientists, Indigenous Leaders and Artists

COP30 takes place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10–21, and will put the world's largest tropical forest at the center of global climate debates. Influential Brazilians from government, science, Indigenous leadership and the arts will shape conversations about deforestation, oil exploration, Indigenous rights and Brazil's role in the energy transition.

Who to watch

Marina Silva

Marina Silva, 67, Brazil's environment minister, is an internationally recognized environmental advocate whose life and career have been shaped by the Amazon. Raised on a rubber plantation, she credits family and community influences for her bond with the forest. Silva resigned from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government in 2008 after policy clashes, then returned in 2023. Her position is politically delicate following recent approval — with presidential backing — of plans to expand oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River.

"We all live with contradictions, and these contradictions must be managed," Silva said ahead of COP30.

Time named her one of its 100 most influential people of 2024, praising her "deeply grounded courage and unflinching tenacity."

Carlos Nobre

Carlos Nobre, 74, is a leading Brazilian climate scientist whose decades of Amazon research have made him an international authority on rainforest stability and global warming. A former member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Nobre has warned for decades that continued deforestation could push the Amazon past a "point of no return," transforming large areas of rainforest into savannah and undermining the forest's ability to absorb greenhouse gases.

"Populists and climate deniers... adopt positions that contain enormous climate risk," he told AFP, criticizing leaders who downplay climate threats.

Nobre argues that with strong environmental policy, Brazil could both halt degradation and become a global leader in the energy transition.

Txai Suruí

Txai Suruí first captured international attention at age 24 when she spoke at COP26 in traditional dress, delivering a blunt warning: "The Earth is speaking and she tells us that we have no more time." This year she was named one of several young climate advisers to the UN secretary-general. The daughter of Indigenous leaders who long defended traditional lands in the northwestern Amazon, Txai founded a regional Indigenous youth movement and has been active in legal and political efforts to hold governments accountable.

In 2021 she and other young activists sued the Brazilian government over what they called a "carbon trick maneuver," arguing that certain accounting practices allowed higher reported emissions than justified. Indigenous territories in Brazil — home to roughly 1.7 million people and covering about one-seventh of the country — have been shown to be crucial for reducing deforestation.

Fafá de Belém

Fafá de Belém (Maria de Fátima Palha de Figueiredo), 69, is a celebrated singer from Belém and a vocal advocate for Amazonian communities. With about 30 albums and millions of records sold, she will perform during COP30 and has been active in efforts to make sure Amazonian voices are included in international discussions.

"When we talk about climate change, we talk about data, graphs and scientific reports. These are fundamental but don't always reach people's hearts: art creates that bridge," she told AFP.

After being disappointed by the absence of Amazonian representatives at a climate meeting in New York, she founded the Varanda da Amazônia (Veranda of the Amazon) forum to connect culture, local voices and policy debate.

Why their presence matters

Together, these four figures represent the different levers that shape climate action in Brazil: political leadership and policy, scientific warning and solutions, Indigenous rights and stewardship, and cultural influence to mobilize public support. Key tensions include the government's recent approval of expanded oil exploration, persistent deforestation pressures, and efforts to center Amazonian communities in decision-making. Their visibility at COP30 could influence both domestic policy and international perceptions of Brazil's climate commitments.