Tudo ou nada: Como as terras indígenas e comunitárias podem ser decisivas para o sucesso das contribuições nacionalmente determinadas

The report argues that the lands of indigenous peoples and local communities (PICLs) in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are critical carbon sinks that are currently undervalued in national climate commitments. Analysis shows that 92% of PICL forest lands in these countries are net carbon sinks, sequestering an average of 30 tonnes of carbon per hectare annually—more than double the rate of non-PICL lands. Despite this, the NDCs of these four countries contain limited references to PICLs and lack specific targets for protecting their lands. The report identifies significant governance gaps, including incomplete land titling, limited land rights, and the failure to implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). It further highlights that these lands are under constant threat from illegal mining, logging, and agribusiness, often involving state collusion. The authors recommend that governments strengthen partnerships with PICLs, integrate their carbon sequestration data into national inventories, and ensure full legal recognition and protection of their territories to meet 2030 climate goals.

• Forest lands managed by indigenous peoples and local communities (PICLs) in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are highly efficient carbon sinks, with 92% acting as net sinks and sequestering an average of 30 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare annually, which is more than twice the sequestration rate of non-PICL lands.
• The annual carbon sequestration provided by PICL lands in the four focus countries is equivalent to an average of 30% of their unconditional 2030 NDC targets. Losing these services would require drastic emission cuts in other sectors; for example, Peru would need to remove its entire passenger vehicle fleet, while Brazil and Colombia would need to remove 80% of theirs.
• Current NDCs and climate policies in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru fail to adequately recognize the role of PICL lands. None of the four countries have specific targets to protect PICL lands, and references to these communities are mostly limited to sections on justice, rights, and participation.
• Legal recognition of land is a critical barrier to deforestation; for instance, titling indigenous lands in the Brazilian Amazon between 1982 and 2016 reduced deforestation by 66%, and titling afro-descendant lands in Colombia reduced it by an average of 30% from 1990 to 2010.
• Despite national laws and international treaties, the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is often treated as a mere formality or ignored. In Brazil, FPIC does not apply to projects deemed 'strategic for national defense,' and in Mexico, mining concessions are frequently granted without following FPIC processes.
• PICL lands face severe threats from illegal cattle ranching, mining, and logging, often linked to organized crime and government collusion. These countries are among the most dangerous for environmental defenders, with women facing higher levels of sexual violence and murder in Colombia.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2022). Tudo ou nada: Como as terras indígenas e comunitárias podem ser decisivas para o sucesso das contribuições nacionalmente determinadas. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Tudo-ou-nada-terras-de-PICLs-e-NDCs.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. Tudo ou nada: Como as terras indígenas e comunitárias podem ser decisivas para o sucesso das contribuições nacionalmente determinadas. 2022. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Tudo-ou-nada-terras-de-PICLs-e-NDCs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=Tudo ou nada: Como as terras indígenas e comunitárias podem ser decisivas para o sucesso das contribuições nacionalmente determinadas |date=March 2022 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Tudo-ou-nada-terras-de-PICLs-e-NDCs.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment2022tudo, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{Tudo ou nada: Como as terras indígenas e comunitárias podem ser decisivas para o sucesso das contribuições nacionalmente determinadas}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Tudo-ou-nada-terras-de-PICLs-e-NDCs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }