Building Climate Action Hand-in-Hand with Indigenous Communities

Rights and Consent (FPICP): A Cornerstone of Ethical Climate Action

Ensuring ethical and equitable climate action for Indigenous people requires recognizing and upholding their rights through Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). FPIC is a principle that grants Indigenous communities the right to be consulted before any activities impact their lands, territories, or resources. It empowers them to give or withhold consent, thereby shaping their political, economic, and cultural priorities.

The principle of FPIC emerged from global human rights movements advocating for Indigenous Rights in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1989, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recognized indigenous rights through Convention No. 169, the first legally binding international treaty requiring governments to consult Indigenous communities before implementing projects that affect them. A stronger legal framework followed in 2007 with the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which established FPIC as a prerequisite for any development or conservation project affecting Indigenous lands.

Governments and organizations now incorporate FPIC as a mandatory standard for climate-related initiatives, such as mitigation projects (e.g. reforestation, renewable energy installations, and conservations efforts), ensuring that Indigenous landowners are neither exploited nor displaced.

In the early 2000s, a foreign oil company was permitted to operate on the traditional lands of the Sarayaku Indigenous community in Ecuador without consultation or consent. This encroachment posed a severe threat to their territory, leading to environmental destruction, violence, and the erosion of cultural and spiritual traditions. The Sarayaku people pursued legal action, first through the Inter-American Human Rights System (2004) and later in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (2012). The court rule in favor of the Sarayaku, ordering the removal of explosives left behind, the establishment of clearer regulations on consultation rights, and financial compensation along with a formal apology. This landmark case reinforced FPIC as a binding right under international human rights law.

However, when FPIC is disregard, large-scale projects can have devastating consequences for Indigenous livelihoods and biodiversity. The Belo Monte Dam in Brazil is a prime example. This massive hydroelectric project dramatically altered the Xingu River, displacing Indigenous communities and threatening vital ecosystems. Despite protests and legal challenges citing violations of ILO Convention No. 169, construction proceeded. Today, the affected communities continue to suffer from the dam´s environmental and social consequences.

Inclusion in climate policy: Why Indigenous Voices Matter in Climate Policy

For climate policies to be fair and effective, Indigenous communities must be actively involved in their development, implementation, and monitoring. Their participation ensures that climate strategies are culturally appropriate, rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, and mutually beneficial for both Indigenous peoples and the environment.

To achieve meaningful inclusion, government and climate organization must establish institutional frameworks that guarantee Indigenous representation in climate policy making. Two key frameworks are particularly crucial:

• Strengthening Legal Protections for Indigenous Land Rights

Securing Indigenous land tenure is not only a matter of justice but also a proven climate solution. Studies show that Indigenous-managed lands experience lower deforestation rates and contribute significantly to carbon sequestration, making land rights recognition a powerful tool for forest conservation and emissions reduction.

• Supporting Climate Adaptation Programs that Integrate Indigenous Knowledge

Many Indigenous communities have developed climate resilience strategies over generations, such as water conservation techniques, agroforestry systems, and fire management practices. Climate adaptation initiatives should embrace and integrate these traditional knowledge systems rather than impose external solutions that may be ineffective or disruptive to Indigenous ways of life.

However, despite growing recognition of Indigenous contributions to climate action, these communities often face systemic exclusion from decision-making processes. Some of the main barriers include lack of representation at climate summits and industrial development prioritization over Indigenous land rights.

Although international agreements, such as the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) under the UNFCCC, acknowledge Indigenous knowledge and rights, implementation gaps remain. Many Indigenous representatives - especially those from remote regions - face financial and logistical barriers that prevent them from attending critical climate negotiations.

In response to these challenges, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and advocacy groups are pushing for stronger Indigenous representation in climate negotiations. For example, Global Witness has highlighted the exclusion of Indigenous leaders from COP26 and COP27, emphasizing the need for financial and logistical support. Their “Missing Voices” campaign calls for dedicated funding to ensure that Indigenous delegations can participate in global climate discussions on equal footing.

Traditional knowledge and protection: Harnessing and Protecting Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Solutions

Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (TK) offers valuable tools for addressing climate change. However, TK is often exploited without consent or acknowledgment, raising concerns about its protection from misappropriation and commercial exploitation. Ensuring Indigenous communities retain control over their knowledge is crucial for both ethical and governance effective climate action.

TK refers to centuries of old-wisdom, practices and ways of life that communities have used to manage their lands, ecosystems and resources. This knowledge is rooted in cultural identity, spirituality and sustainability and plays a critical role in:

• Sustainable agriculture - traditional water conservation techniques, soil regeneration practices, and seed-saving methods enhance food security in the face of climate change.

• Disaster risk management - indigenous weather forecasting, based on natural indicators like anima behavior, wind patterns, and ocean currents, helps communities prepare for extreme events.

• Forest and biodiversity conservation - indigenous fire management techniques, such as controlled burns, prevent destructive wildfires and preserve ecosystems.

  
  

A major challenge in protecting TK is preventing corporations and researcher from extracting indigenous knowledge without proper consultation of benefit-sharing.  For instance, companies patent genetic resources - such as medicinal plants or drought-resistant crops - without the consent of indigenous communities that have used them for generations. Many Indigenous groups have fought back, leading to legal victories and stronger intellectual property protections.

To address these concerns, international initiatives are working to establish stronger legal frameworks. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is at the forefront of protecting Indigenous cultural expressions (e.g., indigenous art, music and symbols), genetic resources (e.g., indigenous seed varieties), and traditional knowledge (e.g., medicinal plant, agricultural practices) through patents, copyrights, and trademarks. WIPO has developed policy frameworks to prevent the unauthorized used of these practices.

A notable example of WIPO’s impact is its work with Indigenous communities in the Pacific Islands. In Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu, Indigenous leaders have long used traditional methods to predict extreme weather, manage coastal erosion, and cultivate climate-resilient crops. WIPO has helped these communities document and register their knowledge under intellectual property (IP) laws, ensuring formal recognition and legal protection. These efforts prevent unauthorized use while promoting equitable sharing of benefits when TK contribute to broader climate solutions.