Read a summary of the event

On 28 May 2024 in São Paulo, The Elders invited leaders, businesspeople, politicians, and members of the civil society to come together to discuss the most pressing matters in our world today: climate justice and how leaders with a long-term view can help turn our current crisis around.

Mary Robinson, chair of The Elders and first woman President of Ireland, can better help us understand what long-view leadership is and why it is so important today: “Long-view leadership means showing the determination to resolve seemingly intractable problems not just manage them, the wisdom to make decisions based on scientific evidence and reason, and the humility to listen to all those affected. Long-view leaders must have the moral strength and courage to address both current concerns and long-term risks, often at the expense of vested interests.”

The event began with Flavia Bellaguarda, LACLIMA’s executive director, who reminded everyone about the current climate crisis in Brazil and the importance of managing climate with political will in every sector of society – a theme which would be repeated throughout the night.

Keynotes

Gro Harlem Brundtland, founding member of The Elders, first woman Prime Minister of Norway, and former WHO Director-General, addressed the audience for opening remarks and remembered her previous visits to Brazil over the decades. Just like now, an open and honest dialogue has been an important part of all her trips to the country—but today the climate and nature crisis is more acute than ever, and collaborative, courageous leadership is essential.

“The science is clear: we cannot afford to continue on the same path. But we will only avoid the worst of the climate and nature crisis if our leaders move beyond short-term decision-making,” said Brundtland, stressing that Brazil, as the president of the G20 and host of COP30 in 2025, is in a perfect position to provide this kind of leadership.

After Gro Harlem Brundtland, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, member of The Elders and former President of Liberia, moved the audience with a keynote speech that reminded us of the need to mobilise the world to tackle what she called not only an environmental, but an existential crisis. We are at a pivotal moment, she said, and "the actions we take today will determine the future of our planet for generations to come."

The panel

Moderator Feliciano de Sá Guimarães, Academic Director and Senior Researcher of the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), welcomed Mary Robinson and guests: Anielle Franco, Brazil’s Minister for Racial Equality; Paulo Galvão, a young Indigenous climate activist, member of the Engajamundo think tank; and Alice de Moraes Amorim Vogas, Director of The Institute for Climate and Society (iCS).

Feliciano questioned Mary Robinson about the urgent climate and nature challenges that require long-view leadership. Despite only having until 2030 to significantly change the direction in which we are headed, her view is a strongly optimistic one: “We’re on the cusp of a wonderful, safer, fairer, cleaner, healthier world. We are moving towards it, but not fast enough for science.” She underscored that this is mainly the responsibility of governments, but that everyone has to understand how we can help persuade them to enter crisis mode and take on the challenge.

Minister Franco and Paulo Galvão added to this by emphasising the importance of different groups collaborating to mitigate the climate crisis. Franco highlighted programmes like Juventude Negra Viva [Alive Black Youth], which has been bringing hope and unity, while Paulo stressed the valuable solutions Indigenous voices could offer if only their voices were heard.

Feliciano then asked Amorim about how multilateral leadership can help the climate emergency and what Brazil’s role would be. For her, this means acknowledging that climate is not an environmental agenda, it’s also developmental and economic. This requires us to overcome fragmentation and create coherence, not only in creating development policies, but implementing them. This is a domestic agenda, but one that needs international pressure and frameworks to land.

Before opening for audience Q&A, the panel invited former Colombian president and member of The Elders Juan Manuel Santos to join the stage.

A question came from journalist Rodrigo Caetano, from Exame magazine, on bridging the climate divide between the global South and North. On this, Juan Manuel Santos answered: “Well, this is the challenge of persuasion for the Global South. But one crucial element the Elders have been insisting on is justice: any decision in this global fight to stop climate change has to have justice as a transversal principle or there won’t be enough support.” Amorim added that knowledge is power and “We [the global South] do have knowledge, but we don’t value it a lot. If we change that, we change the global political dynamic.”

Mary Robinson’s last message was one of hope: we still have time to change course. “We plead as Elders: keep talking about long-view leadership. Let your voices be heard... Make it clear that you want the movement to bring you to this much better world. As Nelson Mandela said, it always seems impossible until it is done. So let’s do it. Let’s get it done!”

Watch the full event