On July 4th, Pernambuco hosted the fourth regional workshop of the National Urban Afforestation Plan (PlaNAU), an event of great importance for strengthening environmental public policies in the Northeast region. Organized by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), with technical support from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and in partnership with the Recife City Hall and the State Government, the workshop brought together more than eight hours of intense activities, including roundtables, plenary sessions, participatory dynamics, and debates in subgroups.

The main objective of the meeting was to promote the collective construction of the PlanNAU guidelines, integrating local and regional experiences into the national strategy for greener, more resilient, and inclusive cities. Topics covered ranged from financing and regulations to biodiversity, media literacy, and urban governance, bringing together municipal and state managers, legislators, researchers, members of the Public Prosecutor's Office, civil society organizations, and experts from various fields.

The National Urban Afforestation Plan (PlaNAU) will be officially launched during COP30 in Belém, and represents an unprecedented effort of active listening and collaborative formulation aimed at improving green areas in Brazilian cities, making them more resilient to climate change and improving the quality of life for the population.

Rodrigo Perpétuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America, highlighted the cross-cutting nature of urban afforestation and the importance of the participatory process: “We are making progress in collecting contributions from across the Northeast for the Plan, which is heading towards its fifth workshop in Campo Grande. In addition to supporting the National Afforestation Plan, this process supports the approval of the National Urban Afforestation Policy in Congress. It is essential that afforestation engages with issues such as health and social inequality, making cities more just and sustainable.”

The importance of collaboration between institutions was also highlighted by José Aldo, rector of the Federal University of Alagoas, a partner in the implementation of the Plan: “This is a special day for the Northeast region and for UFAL. At a time when our cities are facing desertification, the Plan is a hope for restoring quality of life, health and well-being, values that permeate the entire process of building the Plan and that will be presented at COP30.”

Beyond the technical perspective, the workshop also included the participation of experts from the Brazilian Society of Urban Arboriculture (SBAU), who highlighted the diversity of contributions and the plan's role in supporting municipal administrations. "The diversity of participants enriches the process and strengthens the prospect of a greener and more sustainable city," commented Ana Patriota, Forestry Engineer and President of SBAU.

The positive impacts of the event were also felt by the participants, such as Janine, a technical assistant at the Pernambuco State Secretariat for Environmental Development, who stated: “It was gratifying to participate in the development of the Plan, especially because of the impact it will have on the reforestation of the Atlantic biomes. The event mobilized various sectors of society, from academia to local governments, strengthening the mobilization for a more sustainable future.”

Since 2019, the Government of Pernambuco has been associated with ICLEI and has worked in partnership with the organization in the formulation of climate policies, such as... Climate PE platform. Recife, in turn, has been a member since 2015 and has a history of climate leadership, such as the development of... Local Climate Action Plan (PLAC) and the creation pioneer of climate disaster insurance in Latin America.

The workshop reinforced Pernambuco's role as a national benchmark in urban sustainability and reaffirmed its prominent role in promoting urban afforestation and advancing the climate and environmental agenda, strengthening policies that seek greener, healthier, and more inclusive cities.

Public participation remains crucial for the development of the PlanNAU. The online contribution form is still open and can be accessed at: redus.org.br/planau.