Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

The report documents the increasing recognition of Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge within the UNFCCC process, listing specific references across various policy areas including adaptation, finance, and technology. It highlights the role of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) and emphasizes the necessity of a rights-based approach to climate action, grounded in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

• There has been a significant increase in the frequency of references to Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge in formal COP outcomes since COP26, with each subsequent COP adopting between 15 and 21 such decisions, which is more than double the previous rate.
• The Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) was established to strengthen the knowledge, technologies, and practices of local communities and Indigenous Peoples for addressing climate change, facilitating the exchange of best practices on mitigation and adaptation.
• The LCIPP's functions include promoting the protection and preservation of traditional knowledge and building the capacity of Indigenous Peoples to engage in the UNFCCC process, provided that the free, prior and informed consent of knowledge holders is respected.
• The Paris Agreement's preamble explicitly states that Parties should respect, promote, and consider their obligations regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples when taking action to address climate change.
• Adaptation actions under the UNFCCC are encouraged to be guided by the best available science as well as traditional knowledge and the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples to integrate adaptation into socioeconomic and environmental policies.
• Indigenous Peoples are recognized as leaders and stewards of nature, and the UNFCCC encourages ethical and equitable engagement with them and the application of their wisdom and values in implementing the United Arab Emirates Framework for Global Climate Resilience.
• The report emphasizes that green energy projects, carbon markets, and land restoration efforts imposed without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) have led to human rights violations, including dispossession and eviction.
• Climate finance mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund, are urged to incorporate the interests, priorities, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples into their decision-making processes.
• The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is presented as the minimum standard for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples worldwide and a foundation for rights-based climate action.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2025). Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Indigenous-Peoples-Compilation_Nov12_V11.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. 2025. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Indigenous-Peoples-Compilation_Nov12_V11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Indigenous-Peoples-Compilation_Nov12_V11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2025indigenous, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Knowledge in the Context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Indigenous-Peoples-Compilation_Nov12_V11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }