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

This report, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in collaboration with the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), provides a comprehensive compilation of decisions, mandates, and conclusions adopted by the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that reference Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge up to 2025.

• Since COP26, there has been a significant increase in the frequency of explicit references to Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge in formal COP outcomes, with each 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 regarding climate change, facilitating the exchange of best practices on mitigation and adaptation.
• The LCIPP's Facilitative Working Group (FWG) is designed to be inclusive, comprising representatives from UN regional groups, small island developing States, least developed countries, and seven representatives from Indigenous Peoples organizations representing seven sociocultural regions.
• The Paris Agreement and subsequent decisions emphasize that climate action must respect and promote obligations regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples, the right to health, and human rights.
• Adaptation efforts under the UNFCCC are increasingly guided by the integration of traditional knowledge and the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples alongside the best available science.
• The report highlights a critical need for a rights-based approach to the 'green transition,' warning that green energy projects and carbon markets must not be imposed without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) to avoid reproducing human rights violations such as dispossession and eviction.
• Indigenous Peoples are recognized as stewards of nature, and the United Arab Emirates Framework for Global Climate Resilience encourages the ethical and equitable application of their knowledge and values.
• The report documents the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples' rights and knowledge across various thematic policy areas, including agriculture, finance (such as the Green Climate Fund), loss and damage, and technology transfer.

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} }