The world’s first “nature superpower”: Watch Ilona Szabó’s TED Talk

Ilona Szabó de Carvalho at TED Countdown Summit 2025. June 16 - 18, 2025, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Humphrey Gateri / TED

What if the future of global power didn’t depend on extracting and depleting the planet,  but instead on restoring and regenerating it?

That is the bold idea behind the concept of a “nature superpower”,  a vision of a country that grows and prospers with nature, not at the expense of destroying it. Unlike today’s “gray” superpowers, which often drive overconsumption, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, a nature superpower thrives by protecting ecosystems, advancing innovation, and fostering sustainable growth.

This is one of the key messages from Ilona Szabó, co-founder of the Igarapé Institute, in her powerful new talk for TED Countdown. Ilona takes the stage to show how Brazil — home to the world’s largest tropical forest and unparalleled biodiversity — can lead a transformation with global impacts.

Ilona underscores that Brazil’s potential is within reach but not without serious challenges. Illegal deforestation continues to devastate millions of hectares, pushing the Amazon and other biomes perilously close to irreversible tipping points. This environmental loss doesn’t just affect Brazil, it disrupts food production, water security, and climate stability worldwide.

Yet her message is also deeply hopeful. Brazil has the opportunity to:

• Set ambitious green targets that align economic growth with ecological preservation.
• Cultivate a thriving bioeconomy that creates sustainable jobs and supports local communities.
• Restore millions of hectares of forests to increase climate resilience and biodiversity.
• Experiment with innovative green finance that channels capital into sustainable ventures and inclusive development.

“This is not utopia,” Ilona reminds us. It’s a path that is already emerging through local initiatives, innovative technologies, and a growing coalition of leaders, communities, and businesses committed to aligning Brazil’s development with the health of the planet.

We invite you to watch Ilona’s inspiring talk and share it widely with your networks. Together, we can amplify this vision of Brazil as a true nature superpower,  a nation charting a path to prosperity that strengthens, rather than sacrifices, our natural world.