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ABSTRACT President Lula da Silva's leadership over eight years had made Brazil one of the most rapidly developing countries in the World, as well as a nation on the leading edge of environmental policy. He had put the country on a firm economic footing. He gave impetus towards a responsible environmental policy -- the latter being hailed as among the world's most progressive. Lula's success in declaring bold targets for reducing greenhouse gases had put him at or near the top of the list when it came to eco-conscious world leaders. Taking Lula's place to become the country's first female president, trained economist and former Marxist rebel Dilma Rousseff has pledged to help make Brazil "one of the most developed and least unequal nations in the world." But, with developmentalism and environmentalism so often at odds, it is important to note where Brazil's Presidents stands at the intersection of these dynamic, often dichotomous issues. For a nation as rich in natural wealth and resources as Brazil, this transition of power is not important merely in terms of politics or global affairs but perhaps for something much farther-reaching -- like demonstrating to the world that social and economic progress and development needn't necessarily be in conflict with the preservation of the nature.