October 12, 2025

• Two to one oppose Petrobras oil drilling plan at the mouth of the amazon
• Three quarters support Lula's 2030 zero deforestation target - but only 17% think he'll achieve it.

Brasília - A new nationwide poll by Data Folha indicates that 61% of Brazilians oppose Petrobras drilling at the mouth of the Amazon. Notably, opposition to Petrobras’ controversial plan rose to 73% among 18-24 year olds — a critical voting bloc that Lula needs the support of if he is to be reelected in 2026.

The results reflect the widespread opposition to the Lula Administration’s controversial decision to allow Petrobras to drill at the mouth of the Amazon river, close to fragile ecosystems which would be devastated in the event of the oil spill. 

The poll comes as Brazil's negotiating team meet in Brasilia to decide their key demands in the run-up to next month's crucial global climate talks being held in Belém. The poll was commissioned by the corporate accountability group Ekō.

The poll also shows widespread public support for protecting rainforest - 77% back Lula’s flagship policy to end all illegal deforestation by 2030, but only 17% believe he will achieve it. Recent data shows that while deforestation rates plummeted during Lula's first two years in office, rates for 2025 are at an all-time high. Again, support for Lula's ambitious deforestation targets are higher among younger voters – with 84% of 18-24 year olds supporting the ending of all illegal deforestation by 2030.

The poll also reveals that Brazilians are reeling from climate impacts with 60% reporting that the effects of climate change, such as floods and heatwaves, were having a negative impact on them and their families. 81% believe the government should do more to protect marginalized communities from climate breakdown.

In the last decade, Brazil has increasingly experienced the devastating effects of the climate crisis – from out-of-control forest fires to floods that have left communities uprooted and droughts destroying small farmers’ livelihoods.

Over 47,000 Ekō members across the globe have signed a petition demanding that Lula protect nature and climate including demarcating all Indigenous lands and a federal law enforcing zero deforestation by 2030, covering all of Brazil's main biomes.

Ekō campaigner, Vanessa Lemos said:

“The next few months will make or break Lula’s legacy. The majority of Brazilians voters want him to protect nature and climate but right now he’s letting polluting companies call the shots. With only a few years left to make rapid reductions in emissions and preserve fragile ecosystems like the Amazon, Lula needs to stop siding with polluters and deliver the ambitious climate action people are crying out for.”

Brazil will be hosting the UN climate summit in Belém, on the edge of the Amazon, starting November 10th. Ministers and senior negotiators are set to meet with UNFCCC officials early next week to finalize Brazil’s demands. Civil society groups hope that they can persuade Lula to readopt the pro-climate spirit of his first few months in office – and this poll shows how people in Brazil are demanding the same. 

Data Folha polled 2005 people living in Brazil on 8th-9th September 2025. More than 2,000 Brazilians responded to questions about how Lula and his government was handling the effects of climate change, the growing influence by the country’s big industries, and the tackling of rampant deforestation.