It is not possible to treat Brazil in the singular. At least not at COP26. There were two Brazils to be seen in the packed pavilion of the Scottish city. On the one hand, the “official” space of the federal government, which was a place that was alien to the opinions, launches and analyses of scientists and civil society. On the other hand, there was the Brazil Climate Action Hub, the space for all society, in the broadest sense: governors, mayors, judges, prosecutors, indigenous peoples, quilombolas, members of NGOs, academics and many others who were present in this pluralistic space of diplomatic activism. “It is the activism of the dispute by debate, of the qualification of the debate. Creating a space like this, where we can have these people and this dialogue was very important. I am happy that we, in a very broad sense, have contributed to breaking down barriers between people,” said Ana Toni, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Society, one of the organizers of the hub, to the newspaper Estadão.
Another report by the same newspaper shows how this was a space that represented society as a whole. “Brazil has two pavilions at COP, the “official” one and this civil society version, which is much busier – and frequently crowded. Those unable to gain entrance, can follow the debates through the glass walls. From time to time, the corridor clogs up and Scottish security guards turn up to clear the passageway. The pavilion reflects the diversity of the Brazilians who went to Glasgow and were not part of the official delegation,” says the newspaper. It recalls that it is the largest contingent of young people, entrepreneurs, traditional populations, representatives from agribusiness and the black movement to participate in a climate conference since they began.
And there are many others who are on the side of science. Sebastião Salgado and the former prime minister of Ireland, Mary Robinson, made an appearance. There were also many young activists from the Black Coalition for Rights movement, who, together with 250 other organizations, published a letter in defense of the ownership titles of the quilombola territories in Brazil, as well as internationalists and scientists, with debates on the present and future of our country. Examples were the global projection of the Climate and Development Initiative and the joint policy declaration of groups of investors and Brazilian fund managers to support low carbon actions and in favor of the climate.
There were numerous live broadcasts with participants direct from Glasgow and other corners of the planet, talking and suggesting proposals about finance, energy, efficiency, the Amazon, preservation, public policies, climate litigation, electrification of transport and many other fundamental topics of discussion.
It is worth remembering that the Hub emerged at COP25, in Madrid, as an effort by civil society to fill a gap in the federal government, which for the first time did not have a Brazilian space at the conference. In Glasgow, it was not only maintained, but expanded, becoming society’s main meeting, debates and propositions space.
