Politics of the Amazon

Green concerns are sometimes dismissed in the region as little more than an urban middle class fad along with healthy eating and superfoods. It is clear that progress on decarbonisation will ultimately come up short if voters of most backgrounds fail to back the idea and see its benefits. There has been little systematic polling on attitudes to the environment, but the evidence suggests that voters do largely understand and support the need for environmental protection.  A poll by Brazilian market research agency Ipec, published in June 2023 in collaboration with Yale University, found that an overwhelming majority – 94% of respondents – believed that climate change is real and is happening now. Three out of four said global warming was the result of human activity. 70% of respondents believed climate change would have a negative impact on themselves and on their families. And 74% felt it was more important to protect the environment even if that might mean less economic growth and fewer jobs. Only 17% took the opposing view, prioritising growth and jobs over the environment.