2025 will be a pivotal year for Brazil to influence global agendas on climate, AI and digital transformation in forums such as COP30 and BRICS+, following from the momentum built during Brazil’s G20 Presidency in 2024. Equally important, it is a crucial moment to turn these ambitions into concrete actions that deliver measurable benefits for the global community. In this sense, subnational initiatives play a vital role in these transformations, offering practical lessons and setting a benchmark for other regions and international countries to learn from.

In this event, TBI and CEBRI bring together Brazilian and international actors to discuss examples of subnational implementation of AI, digital transformation and climate resilience ambitions, examining the opportunities and challenges for Brazil and the global community in bridging the gap between ambition and action in 2025. In particular, the event explores:

• How to design the delivery of adaptation and resilience commitments between the national and subnational levels to achieve resilience and deliver measurable impacts to society, and

• How to harness digital transformation (notably Artificial Intelligence and Digital Public Infrastructure) to deliver public policies responsibly, fostering innovation while ensuring sovereignty and inclusivity through improved governance.

PROGRAM

2:30 pm | Opening Remarks

• Teresa Rossi, Deputy Director of Partnerships and International Cooperation, CEBRI
• David Milestone, Managing Director, Americas, Tony Blair Institute for Climate Change (TBI)

2:35 pm | Keynote Speakers

• Mauricio Lyrio, Secretary for Economic and Financial Affairs, Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Pedro Vormittag, Coordinator of International Relations, Rio de Janeiro City Hall

2:55 pm | Panel “Delivering Adaptation and Resilience for Climate Change: from Global Ambitions to Local Implementation”

• Moderation: Maria Netto, Executive Director, Institute for Climate and Society (iCS) and Senior Fellow, CEBRI
• Lindy Fursman, Director of Climate & Energy Policy, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)
• Tatiana Castelo Branco, Climate Change Coordinator, Rio de Janeiro City Hall
• Marta Bandeira, Climate Departament Manager of the National Development Bank (BNDES)

3:55 pm | Panel "Delivering Sovereign, Responsible and Inclusive digital transformation in the public sector: Challenges and Opportunities"

• Moderação: Francisco Gaetani, Extraordinary Secretary for State Transformation, Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) and Senior Fellow, CEBR
• Tatiana Roque, Municipal Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, Rio de Janeiro City Hall
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Former Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Entrepreneurship, Indian Government
• Rishon Chimboza, Special Advisor, African Investment and Global Engagement, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)

16:55 | Closing Remarks

• Thais Jesinski Batista, Projects Manager, CEBRI
• Pedro Simão, Acting Country Director, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI)

17:00 | Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding

• Julia Dias Leite, CEO, CEBRI
• David Milestone,Managing Director, Americas, Tony Blair Institute for Climate Change (TBI)