Center for German and European Studies

"Nothing about us without us" - The Amazon and its people in Brazil's new government and in international climate politics

About the Event

Native Brazilians protesting climate change outside with signsIndigenous and traditional people of the Amazon region have achieved historic influence in the current left-wing government under Lula in Brazil. Moreover, Lula has committed to social policy, deforestation reduction, and climate leadership, including hosting the COP30 2025 in Belem, Brazil. The first months of the government and the regional Amazon Summit this August have highlighted the opportunities and dangers for indigenous and traditional people, which we will discuss in this seminar, including false promises of the bioeconomy and greenwashing of local governments and agribusiness. We will also discuss what the new regional and South-South integration means for  European countries like France and Germany, and their geopolitical resource interests.

About the Speaker

Head shot of Claudia Horn smilingClaudia Horn is a sociologist and Madeleine Haas Russell Postdoc Fellow in Climate Crises, Risks and Responses at Brandeis University, housed in the ENVS and LACLS programs. Her current book project based on PhD research at the London School of Economics analyzes the history of international cooperation in the Brazilian Amazon and the formation of green capitalism. She has worked as an advisor to the city government in Belém, Brazil, and as a Project Manager United Nations and the Global South at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in New York. Her research and journalistic writing focus on social justice and international policies on climate, trade, and natural resources.