In light of recent tragedies and global climate changes, Columbia University brought Brazilian experts to New York to broaden the discussion on adaptation measures with other Climate Leaders.

Climate change is intensifying across the globe, especially in Brazil, which has been facing environmental tragedies in various regions—from severe floods to mass fires and prolonged droughts. In this context, Columbia University, through the Columbia Global Center Rio and the Climate Hub Rio, selected four Brazilian women experts on the subject for the Climate Leadership Exchange Program in New York (NY), United States. The opportunity took place between September 14 and 30, aiming to train leaders and promote learning and exchange of experiences with the institution. The initiative is also supported by the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, in order to strengthen contributions between the state and the international climate research community.

The Brazilian women selected by the university were Stella Manes da Silva Moreira, 32, a researcher specializing in biodiversity restoration and conservation at the International Institute for Sustainability; Thaynara Conceição Fernandes, 28, a researcher, environmental educator, and program analyst at the Brazilian Center for Climate Justice; Lara Cavalcanti Martins, 32, external project management consultant for Sense-Lab at the BMW Foundation Brazil Action Platform; and Anna Luiza Barbosa Moreira da Silva, 27, international manager of Climate Finance for Green Growth at the British Government in Brazil.

 

CLIMATE JUSTICE

Created in 2024, the program provided intensive debate sessions, focusing on the following pillars: leadership, innovation, commitment to sustainability, and community impact. Despite their distinct research approaches, the Brazilian participants shared that attending the event was a unique experience, where they had the opportunity to connect with renowned experts and learn about new approaches to the topic.

Stella Manes holds a degree in biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and a PhD in ecology from the same university. Her work focuses on proposing and implementing solutions to environmental impacts. She explains that the experience of an American city dealing with natural disasters and adopting environmental policies can serve as an example for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in many ways. “They always emphasize the importance of climate adaptation planning with dialogue between scientists, decision-makers, and those most affected at every stage, which highlights the need to turn science into action and to consider climate justice as one of the pillars of action for Rio de Janeiro,” she stresses.

Read the full article (available only in Portuguese)