Time Names Lula, COP30 President, Rio Mayor and DJ Alok to 2025 Climate Leaders List

Overview

• Lula is cited for repositioning Brazil on climate, hosting COP30 this year and driving a drop in illegal Amazon deforestation to the lowest levels in a decade.
• Time notes a proposed US$1 billion Tropical Forests Forever fund slated for launch during COP30, while also flagging questions over Lula’s support for Equatorial Margin oil exploration.
• COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago is credited with organizing broad engagement and unveiling a Brazilian virtual climate platform that compiles case studies and tracks UN pledges.
• Coverage points to practical hurdles for the Belém summit, including a lodging shortfall that worried delegations, ongoing room negotiations with dozens of countries and concern over possible leader absences such as President Donald Trump.
• Rio mayor Eduardo Paes is recognized for BRT expansion, bus electrification, new green spaces and a first Latin American extreme‑heat protocol, while DJ Alok is listed as a climate catalyst for indigenous collaborations and work with the UN’s NATURE project.