The Global Study on Indigenous Peoples’ Contributions to Climate Change is a landmark effort that captures, for the first time, the scale and depth of Indigenous Peoples’ actions, innovations, and knowledge in responding to the global climate crisis. We are honored to have accompanied this process, one that has been grounded in Indigenous Peoples leadership from inception to completion.

This study is not merely a research output; it is a collective reflection of Indigenous Peoples collective wisdom, resilience, and the unbroken relationship they practice with the natural world and the associated struggle to access climate finance.

Across continents and ecosystems, Indigenous Peoples are protecting forests, rangelands, wetlands, and oceans that sustain life on Earth. Through traditional ecological knowledge, community governance systems, and adaptive practices honed over centuries, Indigenous Peoples continue to contribute significantly to climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. Their diverse knowledge systems, while ancient, remains profoundly relevant to today’s most urgent environmental challenges.

The Study calls for a decisive paradigm shift toward Indigenous-led and co-governed financing mechanisms that uphold Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), support tenure security, and adopt culturally grounded accountability systems. Through equitable and direct access to climate finance, Indigenous Peoples can continue not only to protect the planet’s ecosystems but also to lead the transition toward a just, sustainable, and inclusive future for all.

(Please click on the image to download the study.)