Governança ambiental e o legado de Sergio Trindade

Abstract

Recently science has been suffering multiple attacks. The fight against dogmas and guesswork in the realm of public opinion has been tough and, often, ineffective. Perhaps that is why people whose work highlights the relevance of a reasoned debate, with visionary perspectives and significant impacts, are so missed. One such person was Sergio Trindade, a Brazilian who, last March, became one of the first victims of Covid-19 in the United States. Sergio was a pioneer in defending the environmental cause, with emphasis on the matter of governance. He worked on the preparation of the United Nations Confe- rence on Environment and Development (Rio-92), and participated in the elaboration of Agenda 21, an action plan for sustainable development elaborated as a result of the conference. For these efforts, he was invited to join the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and, in 2007, became one of the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to panel scientists and Al Gore for their contribution to global awareness on the importance and seriousness of climate change. But his actions towards the development and sustainability of the planet went further. Sergio’s efforts in this area were remarkable and generated effective results. In this article, we seek to rescue his personal and professional trajec- tory and his contributions, especially from the testimonies of his colleagues and friends. We believe that his legacy needs to be not only remembered, but also practiced and carried forward, especially in the face of recent attacks on science and his heartfelt and premature absence.