In Brazil, Lula faces limited room for maneuver on environmental protection

The re-elected Brazilian leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has pledged to transform his country into a developed nation by investing in green, digital, and creative economies. During his previous term, Lula prioritized reducing Amazonian deforestation to its lowest levels since 1988, when records began.

Despite his environmental commitments, Lula's victory over his far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, was a result of historic mobilization on the streets and social media. The far right in Brazil, which has embraced climate change denial, secured a large majority in Congress during these elections. This could pose challenges for Lula's environmental targets.

Lula's administration has already received international support, with the Netherlands pledging USD 500 million to a forest protection fund launched by him at COP30 in Brazil last year. This demonstrates the global recognition of Lula's environmental vision.

However, Lula faces criticism for his support of oil and gas exploration in the Amazon basin. Environmental policy expert Liuca Yonaha believes that Lula's fourth term presents an opportunity to rethink the country's economic model and transition away from fossil fuels. With most parliamentarians opposing a socio-environmental agenda, Lula will need to overcome significant obstacles from Congress to achieve his environmental goals.