Capixaba Delegation Takes Part in Brazil’s 2025 National Environmental Conference in Brasília

Leonardo Merçon
May 8
5 min read

Capixaba delegation gathered at the National Environment Conference to represent Espírito Santo and propose climate solutions — Capixaba delegation at the 5th National Environment Conference in Brasília | Photo: Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios

When I accepted the invitation to join the Espírito Santo delegation at the 5th National Environmental Conference in Brasília, my heart weighed with responsibility.

Representing Espírito Santo and Instituto Últimos Refúgios at an event of this scale is truly an honor.

Yes, I’m here as a nature photographer—but also as a citizen who believes in the power of our actions as a tool for transformation.

This time, I didn’t pack my lenses. Instead, I brought stories and lived experiences that connect me deeply to the environmental cause. For the next four days, I stand alongside 37 other voices from Espírito Santo, seeking solutions to what I personally consider the greatest emergency of our time: the climate crisis.

The Power of Presence

The first image I want to share is symbolic: the Espírito Santo delegation gathered at the Brazil International Convention Center in Brasília.

Every face in that photo carries a territory, a cause, a struggle, an urgency. Being part of this group is both inspiring and humbling.

Workshops and listening circles bring together people from every corner of the country. I chose to contribute to the working group that, to me, most closely reflects my own path: environmental education and climate governance. These are the areas where I believe my experience with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)—along with my words and actions—can have the most impact.

Brazil’s Opportunity for Climate Leadership

Brazil has a real opportunity to become a global leader in the fight against environmental destruction. We could be at the center of international attention—not just for political gain, but as a source of pride for the Brazilian people.

Renowned scientist Dr. Carlos Nobre presents urgent data on the climate crisis during the National Environment Conference — Dr. Carlos Nobre gives a lecture on climate emergency during the conference | Photo: Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios

This year’s conference theme pulls no punches: “Climate Emergency: The Challenge of Ecological Transformation.” Throughout the week, five main pillars are being discussed: mitigation, adaptation and disaster preparedness, climate justice, ecological transformation, and governance through environmental education. All are interconnected. All are urgent.

In my view, Brazil—and the world—is heading toward a major climate imbalance. And as a species, we are not prepared to face it.

The world is burning, flooding, collapsing. Stopping the destruction is no longer enough. We must restore ecosystems and help communities prepare for the impacts already underway. The time is now.

That’s the message I came here to share—and to amplify. Because I’m not alone in this understanding.

My Mission

As a nature photographer, I’ve learned to listen to the silence of forests, to see the urgency in a river’s current, and to read the depth in an animal’s gaze.

Being here at this conference is simply an extension of what I’ve been doing for years: telling stories from my view of the world to help connect people with the environment.

The image I captured today is not of a hummingbird nesting or a puma in the wild. It’s of ordinary people mobilizing to change the future. People who know we can no longer wait for heroes. The action must come from us.

Stories That Intertwine

This time, I didn’t bring my camera. I came as a concerned citizen—worried about the fate of those I love, the suffering of animals, the vanishing of forests, and the terrifying disruption of our water cycles.

My first impression upon entering the main plenary hall during Minister Marina Silva’s opening speech was about the people around me. I saw many with a burning desire to make a difference, excited about participating in something meaningful. But I also felt a heavy sense of anguish.

There were cries for help, signs highlighting local struggles, protest chants... A single tear rolled down my cheek as I sensed the pain of so many people who, clearly, care deeply.

Between sessions, I meet inspiring individuals—Indigenous leaders who speak with conviction about their lands, elders who still believe in a better world, and young people fighting for a future that’s been stolen by the greed of a few.

Photographer Leonardo Merçon attending the opening session of the 5th National Environment Conference in Brasília — Leonardo Merçon at the opening of the National Environment Conference | Photo: Leonardo Merçon/Instituto Últimos Refúgios

In this setting, I feel small—caught between frustration and hope. Just one more person among many others doing work that, honestly, might be far more important than mine. And yet, we all seem to share the feeling that we’re not doing enough. Maybe we never will.

Still, my message is this: people are fighting. Brazil is moving, even if clumsily, toward change.

Why You Should Care

This might all seem far removed from your daily life, but what’s being debated here in Brasília affects you directly. From the quality of the water you drink to the safety of your city during floods—everything ties back to the policies we’re shaping here.

And Espírito Santo is present, active, and contributing ideas, proposals, and real solutions. We are 38 committed representatives from our state working toward a more balanced future.

A Collective Portrait of Action Against the Climate Crisis

At the end of the conference, a set of 100 proposals for confronting Brazil’s climate emergency will be presented to Minister Marina Silva.

These ideas come from quilombola communities, rural settlements, public schools, and universities. They were born at the grassroots level—through municipal and state conferences in which I also participated—and have risen to the top through a democratic process involving thousands of Brazilians from all regions.

I’m here, offering what little I can. I share this not out of vanity, but out of duty.

The Most Urgent Photo I’ve Ever Taken

If you asked me which is the most important photo I’ve ever captured, it might be this one: Me, present in this space. A Capixaba photographer standing among delegates, activists, and dreamers.

Because, as I often say, I don’t just photograph animals—I document a war. A fight for the survival of our own species.

And this, without a doubt, is one of the most urgent: transforming the way our Brazil treats nature. And I say “our” with conviction—because this country belongs to the people, the forests, the animals... Not just to powerful businessmen or politicians who profit by destroying and then leave the damage for society to bear.

The Time for Action Is Now!

The planet no longer wants promises. It demands action. That’s why I’m here in Brasília—stepping away from my already hectic routine split between work and volunteerism—to add my voice to the call for robust, fair environmental policies.

We must restore, resist, and reinvent.