Brazilian Pavilions at COP 27 and the Three Little Pigs

By Heitor Scaff, Engajamundo

Translation: Daniele Savietto

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Do you remember the story of the Three Little Pigs? If not, maybe this text contains spoilers. I’m going to use a little poetic freedom to make it all fit together, come with me!

It all begins with a bad wolf that is coming to attack the three little pigs in the woods where they are. Let’s call this wolf Climate Crisis and this forest COP. The little pigs already knew that he was coming, they had heard the stories and the warnings, they felt the fear, it was something predictable. 

The first little pig, let’s call him the Official, was very concerned about how his house would look, but not so much about how it was built. So he put a somewhat bumpy structure with a base that wasn’t solid, using materials that would end up calling the Climate Crisis Bad Wolf near it in a faster way. Instead of identifying the problems and asking for help from the other little pigs, he decided to just put up a painting showing how good he was and how his house was the most beautiful. So he put up several LED walls, made it look like he had all the technology in the world, that he had partnerships with a thousand companies, and that energy was his strength. This house will change its owner at the beginning of 2023 because of the result of political elections.

The second little pig, let’s call him the Consortium, was very smart. He knew that everyone was talking about him, that the area he chose to call his own was very important for the whole planet. So he prepared a beautiful visitor area and a presentation space. He called scientists, politicians, and big institutions to visit him; he had many thoughts about the future and how to raise funds, but he wasn’t necessarily thinking about how to live in that house. About what to eat, what music to listen about, who was already on the land and could help preserve that land and protect it. The goal was not so much about today and about preserving what already existed, or demarcating the land, but was more about money and investments in the future. It is a house that depends on a lot of money to function, but this cash flow is not always constant and this oscillation can do more harm than good.

The third little pig, let’s call it Civil Society, despite having fewer resources, decided to start with a strong foundation. Even if it was not being able to get into all the places it would need to build a very solid house, not being listened to by the other little pigs even trying to talk to them to build a house together that uses the strengths of each of the three. This house is not always the prettiest, but it is the coziest for other parts of civil society to come and help. It has a strong structure, which listens and learns from those who are already defending themselves from the Climate Crisis Wolf and from those who suffer the indirect consequences of his attacks. It is a house built with the learning and knowledge of those who were here before, with the right choice of materials that do not attract the Wolf even more.

In this forest called COP, on the coast of Egypt, you can still see these three houses of the Brazil family. One next to the other. But as I said above, we all already know that the Bad Wolf Climate Crisis is all around us, we are already suffering from its attacks, and we know that it is coming fast. Hopefully the little pigs will be able to collaborate more and use their forces, space, resources and funding in the best way. 

For now, we will continue to stay close to the third piggy Civil Society building that house with them and trying to collaborate with the others.