Dr. Carlos Afonso Nobre honored with the 2026 Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize for Leadership
in Amazon Science and Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo,
Sept. 23, 2026. Credit Terria Clay @ WCS
NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 — Dr. Carlos Afonso Nobre, one of the world’s leading scientists on the Amazon and its relationship to the global climate, has been awarded the 2026 Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize in recognition of more than four decades of groundbreaking science, leadership, and commitment to the future of the Amazon rainforest.
The prize was presented Wednesday evening at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo during New York City Climate Week. It recognizes an exceptional individual advancing breakthroughs in the conservation of the Amazon through science, vision, collaboration, and respect for natural and cultural diversity.
Dr. Nobre has spent his career working to understand the complex relationship between the Amazon rainforest and Earth’s climate. From his early years as a researcher at Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research and his 30 years at the National Institute of Space Research to his current role as Senior Scientist and Professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of São Paulo, he has combined scientific research with a commitment to collaboration and practical solutions for the rainforest.
In the 1990s, Dr. Nobre was among the first scientists to identify and model what is now widely known as the Amazon tipping point — the critical threshold beyond which large-scale forest loss and climate change could disrupt the rainforest’s self-sustaining water cycle and threaten its long-term survival. His research helped transform global understanding of the consequences of deforestation and helped establish the fate of the Amazon as a global climate concern.
Dr. Nobre said: “The Amazon Forest is very close to a tipping point that can degrade more than 70 percent of the forest within 30 to 50 years. If deforestation exceeds 20 percent of the total forest—currently it is 18 percent—and global warming reaches 2.0 C—it will warm to 1.5 C by 2030—the tipping point will be reached. We need to implement immediately nature-based solutions: Global TAFF (transition away from fossil fuels) by 2040; zero deforestation, degradation and fires by 2030; large scale forest restoration; valuing Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ knowledge; and implementing a socio-bioeconomy of standing forests and flowing rivers. We all want to save the Amazon and our planet.”
Dr. Nobre has also helped build many of the institutions and scientific collaborations that have shaped environmental research in Brazil and beyond. He helped design the landmark Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia and founded the Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies, the Center for Earth System Science, and Brazil’s National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN).
As Co-Chair of the Science Panel for the Amazon and through his Amazonia 4.0 initiative, Dr. Nobre has championed approaches that use science and technology to create economic opportunities from the standing forest, including for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, while conserving biodiversity.
A contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and an advisor to international organizations, Dr. Nobre is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He also became the first Brazilian scientist elected to The Royal Society in more than a century.
The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize honors the legacy of Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, the world-renowned conservation biologist and passionate champion for the Amazon rainforest who died in 2021. Lovejoy helped bring the concept of biodiversity to global prominence and spent his career bringing together science, advocacy, and collaboration to advance conservation of the Amazon and the natural world.
Previous recipients of the Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize are Belén Paez of Ecuador, Marc Dourojeanni of Peru, and Martín von Hildebrand of Colombia. Together with Dr. Nobre, they represent a growing tradition of recognizing individuals whose work, leadership, and commitment are helping secure a future for the Amazon and the people and wildlife who depend on it.
Said Sebastian Troëng, Chief Executive Officer of Conservation International: “Carlos Nobre is an incredibly deserving recipient of the Lovejoy Prize — a fitting tribute to a lifetime spent studying our climate and fighting for the Amazon. His work has changed the way that the world sees tropical forests and brought to light the urgency with which we must work together to save them. Carlos embodies what it means to lead for nature: he’s always understood that science serves real people in real places — a blueprint for saving what we cannot afford to lose. He champions the same passion for nature and the people who depend on it that our friend and mentor Tom poured into this work. Congratulations, Carlos, few honors are more well-earned than this one.”
Said Claude Gascon, Interim CEO, GEF: “Carlos Nobre has spent more than four decades turning rigorous science into a call to action for the Amazon. His identification of the tipping point fundamentally changed how the world understands the stakes of deforestation. It is a privilege for the GEF to join in honoring a scientist whose work has done so much to protect this extraordinary ecosystem.”
“At a time when climate change and biodiversity loss pose enormous risks for communities and economies around the world, Dr. Carlos Nobre’s scientific leadership has helped illuminate both the challenges facing the Amazon and the solutions within reach,” said Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy.“His work has deepened global understanding of why protecting this extraordinary ecosystem is essential for people, nature, and our shared future. Dr. Nobre’s career exemplifies the power of science, collaboration, and determined action.”
Said Dr. Adam Falk, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society: “Dr. Carlos Afonso Nobre has devoted his career to helping the world understand that the future of the Amazon is inseparable from the future of our climate, biodiversity, and people. His groundbreaking science on the Amazon tipping point has not only sounded an alarm, but helped point us toward the solutions needed to keep this extraordinary ecosystem healthy and resilient. Tom Lovejoy believed deeply in the power of science, collaboration, and determined action to protect the Amazon, and Carlos embodies that legacy.”
Said Dr. Carter Roberts, President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund-US: “Tom Lovejoy dedicated his life to helping the world understand why the Amazon matters. Dr. Nobre has carried that legacy forward through decades of groundbreaking research and leadership. Through years of collaboration, Tom helped inspire and strengthen Dr. Nobre’s conviction that rigorous science must be at the heart of conservation. Some of Dr. Nobre’s most influential work grew out of his close friendship with Tom, whose vision and mentorship helped shape Dr. Nobre’s lifelong dedication to protecting the Amazon. At a time when the future of the Amazon is inseparable from the future of our planet, Dr. Nobre has helped illuminate both the risks we face and the solutions within reach. Like Tom, his work and voice have inspired so many people, far beyond the scientific community.”
The recognition comes at a consequential moment for the Amazon. Climate change, deforestation, fire, degradation, and other pressures are placing increasing strain on the rainforest and the ecological processes it sustains. The science advanced by Dr. Nobre and others has underscored the importance of maintaining a healthy, functioning Amazon for biodiversity, communities across the region, and the global climate.
The 2026 Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize is a collaborative effort of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, The Nature Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund, and individual friends of Dr. Lovejoy and of the Amazon.
The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize
The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize was created by five partner organizations (Conservation International, Global Environment Facility, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund) to honor the legacy of Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, who passed away in 2021. Dr. Lovejoy, a renowned expert on biodiversity, was a passionate champion for the conservation of the Amazon rainforest who brought together science and advocacy and a spirit of collaboration to his chosen cause. The prize honors his dedication to the Amazon by acknowledging the achievements of individuals who embody that same spirit and dedication. The Thomas E. Lovejoy Prize is intended to provide a platform for others to learn more about the prize winner’s initiatives and achievements, and to help to inspire a new generation of Amazon conservationists at a time of urgency related to the need to avoid reaching an ecological tipping point in the region. Previous honorees have included: Belén Paez (Ecuador); Marc Dourojeanni (Peru) and Martín von Hildebrand (Colombia).