Supporting Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ initiatives is one of six action tracks under the The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership – FCLP. The action track will be co-led by Peru’s Minister of Environment Albina Ruiz and Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide.
“I am honored to be working with Peru’s Minister Albina Ruiz to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities under the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership“, says Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide.
“I am looking forward to co-leading the action track for supporting indigenous peoples and local communities under the FCLP with minister Espen Barth Eide, with whom we share the commitment of empowering indigenous peoples to face climate change“, says Albina Ruíz, Peru’s Minister of Environment.
Key actors in forest protection
Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs) play a critical role in protecting tropical forests and preserving vital ecosystem services. With territories covering over 50% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, Indigenous People contribute to global climate change mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and inclusive and sustainable development.
“AIDESEP and the indigenous peoples of Peru applaud the agreement between the governments of Peru and Norway to co-lead the action track for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities under the FCLP. We are happy to know of the commitment on the part of the states to recognize the efforts of the indigenous peoples in the face of the multiple climate-ecological crises that we face worldwide. Now more than ever we must realize the dream and strengthen alliances and channel pledged climate funds to indigenous peoples to fight against threats to their territories and lives and also those of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact“, says Jorge Perez, president of AIDESEP, the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon.
The FCLP will work with platforms such as the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), which represent people living in forest territories across the globe, and advocate for their interests including for land rights. Ensuring a greater share of climate finance is channeled directly to organizations led by IPs and LCs is a core ambition of the COP26 Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure Joint Statement.
“Indigenous Peoples are a key stakeholder in Peru’s climate action. They have been at the forefront of adaptation and mitigation through their traditional knowledge to protect the Amazon, and now this is being recognized in Peru’s NDC measures. It is important to highlight that improving their livelihoods and addressing the vulnerability of indigenous women is a priority for our country“, says Albina Ruíz, Peru’s Minister of Environment.
“Peru has shown solid commitment to include indigenous peoples in their climate change governance and to expand land titling for indigenous peoples. I am very much looking forward to working with Minister Ruiz to amplify indigenous and local community rights together with other likeminded countries“, says Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide.
High level event at New York Climate Week
Peru’s Minister of Environment Albina Ruiz and Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide spoke at the high-level event on “Rights, Participation and Benefits for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Forest Climate Finance”, Tuesday 19th September that the FCLP arranged in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) and the UN Development Program (UNDP).
The event brought together leaders from governments, indigenous peoples and local community organizations, philanthropy, and international organizations with the goal of identifying best practices and further actions for respecting and involving Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Forest Climate Finance, including carbon markets and other results-based forest finance.
Partnership on forest
Peru and Norway, together with Germany, have since 2014 collaborated on protecting forests and reducing deforestation under the Joint Declaration of Intent. In 2021 UK and US joined the partnership.
The expansion of land rights to indigenous peoples, protection of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and the establishment of reserves has been a key part of the partnership with Peru. To date, Peru has recognized 2 million hectares in land titles for indigenous peoples under the partnership, and the ambition is to significantly expand land titling for indigenous peoples by 2025. Peru has established an Indigenous Peoples platform as part of their climate change governance, and is the first country to do so in extension of the global equivalent under the climate convention. Many of the actions on the ground to protect forests and reduce deforestation are led by indigenous peoples. In the Peruvian Amazon there are numerous indigenous peoples who live in voluntary isolation. Protecting these areas will be a key priority on the way forward.
About the FCLP
At the UN Climate Summit in 2021 (COP26), over 140 world leaders committed to “halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, whilst delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation” throgh the COP26 Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use.
On the same occasion, a special pledge was made by a suite of bilateral and philantropic donors to spend USD 1,7 billion by 2025 to secure the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and to partner with them in new ways to secure more funding reaches indigenous peoples and local communities directly, in order to strengthen their role as forest guardians,.
. Read the COP26 IPLC Forest Tenure Joint Donor Statement
One year later, leaders from 26 countries and the EU came together at the UN Climate summit (COP27) to launch the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP). The Partnership will help to deliver the commitment made in Glasgow to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
The FCLP will work with existing initiatives and organisations to deliver ambition in six specific areas which underpin the commitments set out at COP26, and meet annually to ensure we are on track.