Presenting IPÊ’s annual report to our dear readers is a valuable opportunity to reflect on what truly mattered over the past year. The institution has continued to flourish, extending its branches and strengthening its trunk, spreading seeds across different regions of Brazil through its own projects and through the actions of students from the Professional Master’s Program and other courses offered by our School of Environmental Conservation and Sustainability, ESCAS.   

At large-scale events such as COP30, we had the opportunity to witness firsthand the extent of our growth and the breadth of the themes we address. We met professionals who have dedicated decades to socioenvironmental causes, as well as former students who have become leaders of national and even international organizations. At Casa IPÊ (IPÊ House), we hosted thematic events that were remarkably well attended by both speakers and participants, covering a wide range of topics relevant to Brazil and the planet. Longstanding sponsors and newer partners alike helped turn ideas and aspirations into tangible results. Time and again, we found evidence that together we are stronger and capable of achieving far greater impact.   

Many members of our team have become respected leaders in their fields thanks to the quality of their work. Now present in four biomes—the Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Pantanal, and Cerrado—we are also beginning to take small but promising steps into the Caatinga. By encouraging professional growth and fostering trust through mentorship, helping to prepare new generations, we aim to grow with consistency and solid foundations. Time will show what works best and what needs adjustment, but our model of developing professionals with broad and inclusive perspectives, grounded in knowledge and committed to action, has proven effective.  

These are important steps toward ensuring the institution’s long-term sustainability. If success and responsibility rested solely with the founders or a small group of individuals, the chances of implementing so many impactful projects would be far more limited. We have brought together people who want to change the world, protect nature, and help improve lives, while also committing themselves to careful preparation and thoughtful innovation, preferably grounded in science. Fostering the understanding that challenges exist but can be addressed with creativity and dedication—especially when individual talents are placed in service of collective benefits—has proven both effective and promising.   

Likewise, this process has unfolded within IPÊ’s Board of Directors. Bringing together individuals with rich and diverse life experiences, the Board contributes knowledge, perspectives, and guidance that reinforce the institution and enhance the many elements necessary for sustainable growth. This has become an important achievement, one that continues to grow in relevance. Our Board members generously dedicate valuable time from their busy lives, sharing their expertise in support of IPÊ.   

Today, after 34 years as a formally established institution, we are leading significant projects that engage sectors of society which were once skeptical of initiatives proposed by environmentalists. One of the most inspiring aspects of this journey is seeing people from underprivileged backgrounds become entrepreneurs and business owners whose activities are aligned with IPÊ’s mission. This is the reality for settlers in the Pontal do Paranapanema region, for example, who once faced a future with limited prospects and are now owners of nurseries and native tree planting companies that contribute to the creation of the Corridors for Life.   

We know there is still much to be done and that the planet’s condition has not improved overall. Yet rather than waiting for things to worsen, we have sought pathways that transform challenges once considered irreversible. Leading by example is contagious, and this has been one of IPÊ’s guiding principles since its inception. Some regions once regarded as lost now demonstrate their ability to recover and move toward a future that once seemed unimaginable, enriching not only people’s lives but also nature itself.   

Everything begins with acting from a love of life and a belief in human potential, while recognizing the beauty of the natural world. This means cultivating a sense of wonder for the diversity of life and a sense of responsibility for caring for it—something that remains fundamentally simple to nurture. This commitment to care forms the foundation of our work and is present in every action and every project developed individually and collectively. 

I hope you will find these values and sentiments reflected as you read this report, prepared with great care. 

Thank you for being with us on this journey.   

Suzana Padua 
IPÊ’s founder and president