E Co. bites: Why are Indigenous Peoples so important for climate action?

7 October 2022, Category: All insights, E Co. bites, Tags: climate change, climate finance, E Co. bites, gcf, Green Climate Fund, indigenous peoples

“Why are Indigenous Peoples so important for climate action?”

This is an incredibly important question, one that requires realising the value that Indigenous voices bring and centering their experience within climate mitigation and adaptation projects. Ultimately, addressing the climate crisis requires a multilateral response, where Indigenous voices can be heard, utilised, and championed. Through this, we can better implement both effective and affordable strategies that successfully address issues such as deforestation and biodiversity loss. 

In our latest E Co. bite video, Ignacia Holmes, one of our Principal Consultants, speaks on the importance of Indigenous Peoples in the fight against climate change. Watch the video below. 

To watch more of our E Co. bites, featuring a variety of our experienced specialists, click here.

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There is a short window of opportunity to address the climate crisis and therefore there is a need to find viable, cost effective and proven solutions. One largely untapped solution is that Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tropical forest countries are already implementing effective and affordable strategies to address deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Tropical forests play a vital role under any scenario in slowing climate change. They prevent extreme shifts in temperatures and affect rainfall which make farms more productive and prevents forest fires. There is a wealth of evidence showing that healthier forests mean richer and more diverse plant and animal life which, in turn, increases the climate resilience of ecosystems and forest-dependent populations. There is a wealth of scientific evidence that support that recognising and enforcing the rights of forest peoples can conserve tropical forests better than practically any other alternative.

For example, a study that analysed areas of the Amazon Basin between 2003 and 2016 showed that forests managed by Indigenous Peoples had lost only 0.3% of their carbon as compared to other land tenure that lost 3.6% of their carbon. So Indigenous peoples are key players to climate action. Acknowledging their rights to lands and resources offers a scientifically proven strategy to policymakers and donors who seek to mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity and encourage sustainable management of tropical forests, while also investing in the people who already are keeping the forests standing.

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