Coldplay took a break from covering classic R&B jams on Monday to invite eight Brazilian governors to join Global Citizen Live Sept. 25. 

In a series of tweets, the band called on them to use the Global Citizen stage to announce commitments to invest in ecological conservation and climate adaptation. The famed group has long been an ambassador for Global Citizen and continually uses their platform to highlight and support campaign issues.

The tweets specifically targeted Coronel Marcos Rocha, João Azevêdo, Wellington Dias, Camilo Santana, Waldez Góes, Helder Barbalho, Mauro Mendes, and Wilson Lima.

The governors were targeted because of their closeness to either the immensely critical Amazon rainforest or the country’s North, which has been beset by worsening droughts and other climate impacts, and also hosts important biodiversity hotspots such as the Caatinga Biome. They’ve also shown strong leadership when it comes to climate change in the past. By focusing further on the planet’s health, they can help shape the country’s environmental direction over the next decade.

Overall, Brazil’s current policies regarding climate change have been ranked as insufficient by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), a nonprofit that tracks whether countries are working to achieve the goals established by the Paris climate agreement. 

The country’s agricultural sector, in particular, continues to devastate the Amazon rainforest and deplete water resources, and its energy sector has yet to receive significant investments to transition away from fossil fuels, according to CAT.

Under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, dozens of environmental regulations have been removed, a turn of events that threatens the stability of the Amazon rainforest. As climate change intensifies and natural disasters displace people from their homes, inequality within the country will only get worse, according to the Climate Scorecard. 

Dozens of countries are championing the ambitious 30x30 conservation goal, which calls on governments to protect 30% of land and marine environments by 2030 in an effort to halt both climate change and biodiversity loss. While Brazil’s governors can’t mobilize federal agencies, they can commit in their own jurisdictions to pursue this goal. 

Many governors have already pledged their support.

Coldplay's series of tweets, and the associated policy ask, are in support of Global Citizen’s Recovery Plan for the World. The overarching campaign focuses on getting countries to invest in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, ending global hunger, getting students back in school, protecting the planet, and pursuing equity across all facets of society. 

Culminating in a once-in-a-generation global 24-hour broadcast moment beginning on Sept. 25, the Global Citizen Live campaign is calling on world leaders, corporations, and philanthropists to work together to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Join the movement by taking action here. 

You can join the Global Citizen Live campaign to defeat poverty and defend the planet by taking action here, and become part of a movement powered by citizens around the world who are taking action together with governments, corporations, and philanthropists to make change.

TopicsEnvironmentClimate ChangebrazilColdplayClimate ActionChris MartinGlobal Citizen LiveBiodiversity lossdefend the planet30 by 3030x30

Advocacy

Defend the Planet

Coldplay Just Tweeted Brazilian Governors Urging Them to Protect the Environment

By Joe McCarthy