Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives

This briefing outlines principles for the ethical engagement of Indigenous Knowledge Holders in nature and climate initiatives, emphasizing the need for reciprocity, transparency, and the respect of Indigenous rights to ensure the success of nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.

• To address environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, it is necessary to engage ethically with Indigenous Knowledge, which requires ensuring free, prior, and informed consent and implementing sustainable projects.
• The document provides four primary recommendations for working with Indigenous Knowledge Holders: building meaningful relationships and respecting rights, respecting culture and knowledge, recognizing Indigenous women as equal partners, and promoting direct access to funding.
• While there are existing standards for the inclusion of rightsholders and safeguards for Indigenous rights, these commitments are not consistently applied in practice; the document identifies a gap in working with Indigenous Knowledge Holders with fairness, ethics, transparency, and reciprocity.

APA

Ou,, V. L. E. R. M. R. (2026). Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/indigenous-knowledge-holders-climate-nature-initiatives

Chicago

Ou,, Veronica Lo,Georgia Exell,Graeme Reed,Erin Myers,Tiffanie Rainville,Wanli. Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/indigenous-knowledge-holders-climate-nature-initiatives.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ou, |first1=Veronica Lo,Georgia Exell,Graeme Reed,Erin Myers,Tiffanie Rainville,Wanli |title=Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2 February 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/indigenous-knowledge-holders-climate-nature-initiatives |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ou2026working, author = {Ou,, Veronica Lo,Georgia Exell,Graeme Reed,Erin Myers,Tiffanie Rainville,Wanli}, title = {{Working With Indigenous Knowledge Holders to Advance Equitable and Inclusive Nature and Climate Initiatives}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/indigenous-knowledge-holders-climate-nature-initiatives}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }