President Lula stresses at COP31 the urgency of turning climate goals into concrete actions. Experts point out that the circular economy is the strategic path to combine environmental preservation with sustainable development and income generation.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reiterated, during his speech at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, the pressing need to accelerate the global climate change agenda. The central focus of his remarks revolved around speeding up the energy transition and effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revisiting key commitments discussed at COP30 in Belém.
The major challenge posed by Brazil’s executive leader is moving from rhetoric to practice: how to translate international treaties into tangible measures that promote environmental preservation without compromising socioeconomic growth. The topic’s resonance underscores the urgency of strategies that weave sustainability into everyday productive life.
The role of the circular economy in the climate agenda
For Liu Berman, president of the Institute for Reinventing Futures, the success of the goals set at summits depends directly on the ability to convert global guidelines into local public policies. The expert argues that the circular economy emerges as an essential tool to integrate the conservation of biomes, such as the Amazon, with productive development.
Applying these concepts in practice, according to the expert, requires a detailed reading of territorial vocations. It’s not just about reducing waste, but about structuring value chains that recognize available resources and community needs, ensuring that environmental progress is accompanied by real income‑generating opportunities.
Beyond intentions: productive practice
Liu Berman’s view on the need to operationalize sustainability is clear, emphasizing that real change occurs when the economy is reorganized for efficiency and smart use of natural resources:
“The discussion on sustainability must move beyond intentions and into the organization of the economy. In the Amazon, this involves identifying the potential of materials that are currently discarded, structuring reuse chains, strengthening local enterprises, and creating conditions for these products to find markets. There is an opportunity to develop economic activities from resources already present in the territories, but it requires coordination among different sectors, investment, and continuity of public policies. When the population participates in this process and can integrate into production chains, the environmental agenda also becomes a strategy for economic and social development.”
Next Steps and Regional Mobilization
The debate on the feasibility of these solutions gains momentum with the first North Circular Economy Forum, scheduled to take place from December 2 to 4 in Belém. The initiative, which seeks to connect public authorities, the private sector, and academia, reinforces the commitment to translate the theory of sustainability into practical solutions adapted to regional realities.
The projection for the future indicates that the effectiveness of climate actions will depend on the continuity of these collaborations. By integrating communities into value chains and ensuring consistent investment, Brazil can consolidate a model where environmental preservation truly becomes the main lever for economic and social progress, honoring the commitments made by President Lula to the international community. Read the full speech of Lula at COP31.