Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, on Nov. 12, 2026, to discuss closer ties and shared climate goals. (Foto: Instagram)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, Nov. 12, during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31, in Antalya, Turkey. After the meeting, Newsom called for closer ties between California and Brazil, with an emphasis on environmental issues.
Newsom said on social media that the conversation focused on strengthening ties between California and Brazil and advancing shared climate goals. He also expressed interest in expanding cooperation in three areas: clean energy, carbon markets and climate resilience. “It was a pleasure to meet with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at COP31 to strengthen California’s ties with Brazil and advance our shared climate goals,” Newsom wrote.
The meeting was held privately and lasted about 15 minutes. It was the first time Lula and Newsom had met. The discussion continues a series of environmental cooperation efforts between Brazil and California.
In September 2025, the two governments established a partnership focused on developing carbon-pricing policies, clean transportation and efforts to improve air quality. The agreement also includes initiatives for environmental conservation and biodiversity protection.
Newsom has become one of the Democratic Party’s leading opponents of President Donald Trump. As governor of California, one of the country’s most populous and economically significant states, he has stepped up his clashes with the Republican president, particularly since 2025. Their rivalry has also played out on social media: Newsom has adopted some features associated with Trump’s communication style, including all-caps posts, emphatic punctuation and images made with artificial intelligence. The approach has raised his national profile and helped make him one of the party’s prominent figures.
Newsom has also criticized the Trump administration’s trade tariffs on Brazilian goods, calling them illegal and harmful, and questioned ties between members of the Trump family and the Bolsonaro family. In September 2026, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he said he would be “very concerned” about possible U.S. interference in Brazil’s elections, citing political connections between the two families.
After Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s October presidential election, Newsom congratulated Lula on social media and voiced support for partners he said were defending democracy. Near the end of his second term as California governor, Newsom has increased his participation in international events and emerged as a prominent Democratic figure.
