Elected vice mayor in 2016, Bruno Covas became mayor in 2018 and was re-elected mayor of São Paulo in 2020.
Bruno Covas had been since 2019 undergoing treatment for cancer in the digestive tract. On April 15 of this year, Covas was hospitalized to undergo check-ups that detected new cancer spots. He was discharged on April 27, but five days later announced that he would take a 30-day leave of absence from his position as mayor of São Paulo to continue treatment. Covas died on May 16 at the age of 41.
Bruno Covas has highlighted in his political career a constant concern for the environmental agenda. At the age of 30, he was Secretary of State for the Environment of the State of São Paulo, helping to consolidate the processes of decentralized action of the environmental area of the State.
In 2014 he served a 2-year term as a federal deputy and in 2016 he devoted himself entirely to the city of São Paulo, a commitment that ended on May 16, the day of his death.
São Paulo has been part of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) since 2015 and under Covas’ government has advanced the commitment acquired by winning the Adaptation medal for having validated its Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (ARVC).
São Paulo is also committed to ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and has also committed to the CitiesWithNature program in support of the implementation of the São Paulo Climate Change Committee.
Through this note, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy sympathizes with the family members, wishing them strength to face this loss.