President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva departed for Turkey this Monday, November 9, 2026, leading a delegation of eight government officials to participate in the COP31 climate summit in Antalya.
The mission, focused on climate financing and energy transition, precedes an official state visit to the Philippines for the ASEAN summit.
The composition of the presidential delegation has drawn significant attention, as it notably excludes the leaders of Brazil’s legislative houses. Both the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta, and the President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, declined invitations to join the trip, citing the necessity of remaining in Brasília to manage pressing legislative agendas and upcoming votes, according to reports from Poder360 and Blog do Esmael.
Motta justified his absence by citing the need to lead votes ahead of the parliamentary recess, while Alcolumbre noted the possibility of a National Congress session being called.
Shifting Expectations for Cabinet Diplomacy
In 2022, during a similar trip to the COP summit in Egypt, the president used the diplomatic stage to finalize appointments for his economic team, including Finance Minister Fernando Haddad. This time, however, the delegation lacks the high-profile political figures that many expected to see, a detail emphasized by UOL Notícias.
Officials such as Camilo Santana, Rui Costa, Rafael Fonteles, and Fernando Haddad were not included in the travel party, cooling expectations that the president would use the trip to signal cabinet appointments for his upcoming term.
While the legislative leadership is absent, the delegation includes a mix of environmental and economic strategists. The group features Alexandre Silveira, Minister of Mines and Energy, João Paulo Capobianco, Minister of the Environment, and Aloizio Mercadante, president of the BNDES (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social).
Also accompanying the president are Fernanda Machiaveli, of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture; Márcio Elias Rosa, of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services; and Mauricio Carvalho Lyrio, secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Celso Amorim, chief advisor to the Special Advisory of the Presidency for International Affairs, and Congressman André Janones (Rede-MG) are part of the group.
Brazil Proposes Roadmap to Phase Out Fossil Fuels
At the center of the Brazilian proposal is the “Mapa do Caminho” (Roadmap), an initiative designed to guide nations in phasing out fossil fuel dependency while accounting for individual economic realities.
The government is also pushing to secure new commitments for the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), a mechanism launched by Brazil to remunerate developing nations for forest conservation. Among the priorities are pathways to reduce fossil fuel reliance and strengthening the TFFF to attract new partner countries through financial contributions or investments.
Data provided by the Workers’ Party (PT) highlights the domestic benchmarks the administration is bringing to the table: a 71.2% reduction in deforestation in the Legal Amazon and a 48.4% decline in the Cerrado between 2022 and 2026.
| Key Indicator | Context/Value |
|---|---|
| COP31 Dates | November 9–20, 2026 |
| ASEAN Trade (2025) | Over US$ 38 billion in trade volume |
| Amazon Deforestation Drop | 71.2% (2022–2026) |
Bridging to Southeast Asian Markets
Following the COP31 summit in Antalya, the president will travel to Manila, Philippines, from November 13 to 15. This leg of the journey signals a broader geopolitical pivot toward the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As reported by O GLOBO, this region has become increasingly critical to Brazil’s external trade strategy.
In Manila, Lula will participate in a state visit on November 14, which includes the Brazil-Philippines Business Forum. This marks the first visit by a Brazilian head of state to the country, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
In 2025, ASEAN ranked as Brazil’s fifth-largest trading partner, contributing a positive trade balance of US$ 10 billion. The bloc encompasses over 700 million inhabitants and a GDP of US$ 4.25 trillion.
Lula is scheduled to deliver a formal address at the opening of the COP31 Leaders’ Summit on November 11, alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He is expected to return to Brazil on November 16, leaving Vice President Geraldo Alckmin to oversee domestic affairs in his absence.
