Integrating culture into climate policies, insights with Eduardo Carvalho

Interview with Eduardo Carvalho, by Selva Ozelli Esq., CPA, Author of “Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets Globally”. By Selva Ozelli Esq., CPA, Author of “Sustainably Investing in Digital Assets Globally”

Eduardo Carvalho Curator of exhibitions and Founder director of Outra Onda Conteúdo – Brazil

Tell us about your personal and educational journey that led you to your career as a curator

I am a curator, cultural manager, and founder-director of Outra Onda Conteúdo, a company based in Brazil. We work at the intersection of culture and science to create projects and exhibitions. Our goal is to deepen public engagement with urgent social issues, including the climate crisis. My practice focuses on translating complex scientific and environmental themes into accessible, emotionally resonant cultural experiences.

I served as associate curator and artistic editor at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, where I contributed to exhibitions that collectively attracted more than one million visitors. I was also part of the curatorial team of the Rio Olympic Museum, inaugurated last year, helping shape its narrative and visitor experience. Throughout my career, I have curated exhibitions addressing social and environmental themes, including the Amazon, the ocean, the Covid-19 pandemic, and other global challenges. Currently, I am involved in the conception of a new museum dedicated to Brazil’s biomes.

I hold a Master’s degree in Creative Economy Management and was awarded the Chevening Clore Fellowship by the UK government in 2019.

Before entering the cultural sector, I worked as a journalist covering science and environmental issues. Since 2010, I have reported on environmental, scientific, and social justice topics, including as a reporter and editor for Globo, Latin America’s largest media group. My work included international reporting in some countries, and a defining experience was travelling to Antarctica to document the work of Brazilian scientists at the national research base.

Also, I started covering climate negotiations at COP16 in Cancun in 2010 (it was my first COP). Then, I worked writing stories during Rio+20, in 2012, and COP20, in Lima, Peru, a year before to change my career for the cultural sector.

Tell us about your initiatives to integrate culture into climate policies in Brazil and your involvement with establishing these projects.

In 2021, I was invited to join the team that coordinated the Brazilian civil society pavilion at COP26 in Glasgow. The Brazil Climate Action Hub functioned as a paradiplomatic space where subnational governments, non-governmental organisations, Indigenous peoples, and traditional communities came together to demonstrate that Brazilian climate policy was still alive, despite the federal government at the time.

During this period, I developed cultural programming and exhibitions for the space, turning it into a hub that not only welcomed people but also told a powerful story through culture.

From that point on, the culture and climate agenda began to take shape within my professional work. Projects carried out in Egypt, Dubai, Azerbaijan, and Brazil brought experiences and exhibitions that highlighted stories of climate solutions emerging from the Global South, from science, from ethical debates, and from social organisations across different parts of the world.

This agenda is reflected in Projects developed in Brazil, as well as in some exhibitions and experiences in museums and cultural centres. Even so, there was still a gap in the Culture and Climate agenda: how to bring this topic into negotiations and how to further promote the creation of narratives on this theme in its many forms. With that in mind, Outra Onda Conteúdo partnered with the philanthropic organisation C de Cultura to create the Culture and Climate research initiative in 2024.

Talk more about the Culture and Climate research and about its impact.

The research line emerged in 2024 with the development of an evidence synthesis that brought together data, analyses, and expert contributions on the intersections between culture and climate change. As a direct outcome, we created the Espalha platform, which compiles more than 130 cultural initiatives with climate-related action across the country.

In 2025, through the quantitative phase of the research, we deepened our understanding of how different segments of the Brazilian population perceive, experience, and mobilise around this connection.

Building on these findings, among the Brazilians surveyed, 83.5% believe they can become better informed and gain a deeper understanding of climate change through cultural activities and cultural goods — in other words, culture is seen as a source of information.

For 73.3% of respondents, cultural activities and goods can help them face the crisis in practical terms — meaning culture is perceived as a platform for action. And 62.6% stated that a book, song, film, museum, artwork, or other cultural good — as well as a school or cultural organisation — has already inspired them to change habits related to environmental or social issues.

More details about the research can be check it on culturaeclima.com.br/en

During the COP 30, one of your experiences had a focus on hope in the Climate solutions. Tell me more about it.

Yes! The “Dear Future Me” experience was born of the desire to offer COP29 participants a space for hope, empathy, and commitment to the future. Developed by Outra Onda Conteúdo at the invitation of the organisations that comprise the Regional Climate Foundations (RCFs) pavilion, the installation was part of the Building Hope exhibition.

The exhibition as a whole invited deep reflection on the importance of keeping hope alive in multilateralism and climate action, highlighting the essential role of cooperation among organizations, governments, and individuals in building a sustainable future.

The “Dear Future Me” experience delivered a message from the future, suggesting that humanity had successfully adapted the planet to the new climate regime through a collective effort. Faced with this new reality, the “future self” asked the “present self”: What was done to make this optimistic future possible?

Responding to this invitation, nearly 200 people wrote messages on postcards. Notes were left from various countries and continents, in different languages. One year after COP29, in partnership with the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, all the messages were analyzed to identify the main sentiments and actions shared by the participants.

The research associated with the experience used artificial intelligence tools to examine thousands of letters written in multiple languages. The technology enabled the translation and interpretation of complex phrases, revealing participants’ emotional and behavioural patterns. This innovative approach made it possible to understand how people are acting in the present to confront the climate crisis—from individual actions to collective initiatives—and how they project their hopes and commitments for the future.

The collected data indicate that the experience generated feelings of empowerment, intergenerational connection, and a renewed commitment to concrete actions. By combining art, science, and emotion, “Dear Future Me” demonstrated that it is possible to create transformative spaces that not only raise awareness but also catalyze real change.

The initiative reinforces the role of positive narratives and collective imagination as essential tools in the fight against the climate crisis, emphasizing the importance of cultivating hope as a mobilizing force.

The vídeo with the results can be checked on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRn3_JgTLw&t=1s

Tell us about The Global Ethical Stocktake (GES) at COP30 which places culture at the center of climate action, treating it as an “ethical compass”

The Global Ethical Stocktake played a crucial role in exposing the current lack of climate ethics—a gap that continues to delay actions capable of preventing millions of people worldwide from facing catastrophic conditions. Why not act now? And who must take responsibility? If we are living through an empathy crisis, how can we repair it? These are some of the questions the Global Ethical Stocktake has posed to negotiators and government leaders.

Outra Onda Conteúdo designed the Global Ethical Stocktake methodology and oversaw its implementation across all continents. Led by the COP30 Presidency and the United Nations, the initiative brought participants together. They engaged in dialogue about rebuilding relationships and communities and explored the deeper meaning of climate ethics.

My partner, Leo Menezes, and I contributed to developing the concept for the gatherings, emphasising culture as a central element to evoke genuine emotional expression from participants. We also created a collective artwork for each continent, curated artistic performances, and selected guests based on regional and thematic diversity.

Additionally, we are finalising the official Global Ethical Stocktake film, which will be released soon, and we have designed a 200-square-meter exhibition pavilion in the Blue Zone of COP30. The space showcased a series of artworks and videos, including the collective piece created throughout the dialogues and produced by the artist Alexia Ferreira.

You can check an immersive video we prepared here: https://youtu.be/3OZG8oWgAWk?si=LJ9pZX2PRezzFTf2.

In your opinion, did COP30 leave a legacy for the culture discussion involving Climate change?

Yes! Just as Rio92 left a powerful legacy for civil society — strengthening environmental groups across the world — COP30 in Brazil became a stage for vibrant cultural diversity. The discussions brought together traditional communities and diverse forms of knowledge, resulting in debates that have already extended far beyond Belém. There is now an active conversation about creating a cultural stocktake, the third phase of the Culture and Climate research is underway, and governments are coordinating efforts to protect both tangible and intangible heritage.

In Brazil, the Ministries of Culture and the Environment have signed agreements to train cultural and environmental agents on the importance of these agendas. The recognition of culture as a platform for action — one that delivers real impact — is now irreversible and continues to gain new supporters. This is one of the true legacies of Brazil’s COP, in a country where creativity and culture hold immense significance.

How can people reach you?

Via my instagram @edujcarvalho and the instagram of Outra Onda Conteudo @outraondaconteudo. My email is eduardo@outraondaconteudo.com.br and our website is outraondaconteudo.com.br/en

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