Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All

Indigenous Peoples steward 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity on 20% of Earth's land, yet they face ongoing marginalization in international environmental negotiations. While instruments like UNDRIP and the Nagoya Protocol have advanced the recognition of their rights to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), the document argues that Western scientific and political worldviews continue to dominate processes in the UNFCCC and IPBES. The brief calls for a shift from tokenistic inclusion to genuine leadership by Indigenous Peoples to ensure a sustainable future.

• Indigenous Peoples are highly effective environmental stewards, with their lands covering approximately 20% of the Earth's territory and containing 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity.
• The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted in 2007, enshrines three critical elements for Indigenous rights: the right to self-determination, collective land rights, and the requirement of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for major projects on their territories.
• Indigenous Peoples have successfully integrated into several UN processes, including the establishment of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in 2001, which allows them to participate with rights similar to states for the first time in UN history.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recognizes Indigenous Peoples as essential to its goals, specifically through Article 8(j), which mandates the respect and maintenance of traditional knowledge for biodiversity conservation. This has led to the creation of several voluntary guidelines, including the Akwé: Kon, Tkarihwaié:ri, Mo’otz Kuxtal, and Rutzolijirisaxik guidelines.
• The Nagoya Protocol is identified as the first multilateral environmental agreement to include substantive provisions on Indigenous rights, requiring prior informed consent (PIC) for access to traditional knowledge and genetic resources and ensuring fair benefit sharing.
• Despite their role, Indigenous Peoples remain marginalized in climate negotiations. The 1992 UNFCCC had no reference to them, and they were not a formal constituency until 2001. The 2015 Paris Agreement is noted for failing to fully recognize the need to integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices into mitigation and adaptation efforts.
• The REDD+ initiative has been criticized by Indigenous Peoples for its materialist view of forests and for potentially restricting access to forest resources, which can aggravate socio-economic conditions. In response, some Amazonian communities, including those in Peru, have proposed an Indigenous version of REDD+ based on collective rights and the combination of productive use with protection.
• The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has attempted to bridge the gap between Western science and Indigenous knowledge through a dedicated task force, but it continues to struggle as power remains largely with those within the Western scientific worldview.

APA

(Dr.),, E. R. H. (2022). Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/indigenous-peoples-defending-environment-all

Chicago

(Dr.),, Eugenia Recio,Dina Hestad. Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/indigenous-peoples-defending-environment-all.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=(Dr.), |first1=Eugenia Recio,Dina Hestad |title=Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=22 April 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/indigenous-peoples-defending-environment-all |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dr2022indigenous, author = {(Dr.),, Eugenia Recio,Dina Hestad}, title = {{Indigenous Peoples: Defending an Environment for All}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/indigenous-peoples-defending-environment-all}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }