Search Climate Insights Directory

The document establishes the San and Khoi people as the original knowledge holders of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), citing a 2014 South African government study. It outlines the legal framework for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) under the Convention on Biological Diversity and South African law, and notes ongoing negotiations between the rooibos industry and the National Khoi & San Council and South African San Council to ensure compliance with bioprospecting regulations.

The submission argues that indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are the most effective guardians of biodiversity, yet they face systemic threats including non-recognition of land rights, 'fortress conservation' models, and violence against land defenders. It provides global case studies of successful community-led conservation and calls for a shift toward rights-based conservation, secure tenure, and the protection of environmental defenders.

This document is a summary of findings and orders from the High Court of Kenya regarding Petition No 22 of 2012. The court addressed various legal and procedural challenges brought by petitioners against the LAPSSET Project, specifically focusing on environmental assessments, public participation, indigenous rights, and the protection of cultural heritage in Lamu County.

The document explains how international law, primarily through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), protects traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use of biodiversity. It details the obligations of CBD Parties under Articles 8(j) and 10(c), outlines voluntary instruments like the Akwé: Kon Guidelines and the Tkarihwaié:ri Code of Ethical Conduct, and discusses other frameworks such as UNDRIP and ILO 169. The guide highlights opportunities for communities to advocate for broader rights and challenges such as the restrictive 'compatibility' requirements for legal protection.

The document serves as a guide for indigenous peoples and local communities to understand their rights and responsibilities under international frameworks regarding biodiversity. It focuses heavily on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), particularly Articles 8(j) and 10(c), which mandate that parties respect, preserve, and maintain traditional knowledge and encourage customary use of biological resources. The guide outlines various voluntary instruments, such as the Akwé: Kon Guidelines and the Tkarihwaié:ri Ethical Code of Conduct, and discusses other relevant frameworks from the FAO, ILO, and UN. It also identifies key challenges, such as the restrictive nature of 'compatibility' requirements for conservation and the lack of clarity regarding intellectual property rights.

The document serves as a guide to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), detailing the collective and individual rights of Indigenous peoples, including self-determination and free, prior and informed consent. It outlines the responsibilities of States and the UN, provides criteria for identifying Indigenous peoples, and offers practical avenues for reporting human rights violations through UN mechanisms. The guide specifically highlights the intersection of UNDRIP with biological diversity, conservation, and land rights.

The document examines the gap between the IUCN's formal commitment to protect environmental defenders via Resolution 115 and the actual implementation of a global policy and action plan. It highlights the extreme risks faced by defenders globally and specifically in Africa, including gender-based violence against women defenders and the criminalization of activists. While noting a few regional projects and the importance of IUCN's public statements, the report argues that the organization remains largely reactive and lacks a systematic strategy, funding, and reporting mechanism to address the structural drivers of violence against those protecting nature.

Natural Justice argues that the EIA for Reconnaissance Energy Namibia's 2D seismic survey in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin fails to meet the 2012 EIA Regulations. The organization claims the assessment lacks a 'need and desirability' analysis, relies on an inadequate four-day baseline survey, and ignores significant impacts on endangered species like African wild dogs, pangolins, and elephants. Furthermore, it asserts that the project violates indigenous rights by failing to obtain free, prior, and informed consent and ignores Namibia's climate change policies and international treaty obligations regarding the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and the Okavango Delta.

The document provides an educational overview of REDD+, explaining its goal of providing financial incentives to developing countries to reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests. It details the debate over reference levels and funding mechanisms—specifically carbon markets versus a dedicated REDD+ fund—while highlighting significant risks to Indigenous peoples, such as forced evictions and the devaluation of non-monetary forest values. The guide compares the safeguards of UN-REDD and the World Bank, noting that UN-REDD's standards are generally stronger, though implementation remains a concern.

The handbook provides a comprehensive guide for African environmental and land rights defenders (ELRDs), detailing the threats they face—including SLAPP suits and gender-based violence—and the legal avenues available for redress. It outlines the roles of the African Commission and African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as sub-regional courts like the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. The document emphasizes the vulnerability of women, youth, and Indigenous communities, and provides a directory of emergency funds and support organizations.

The document outlines the legal challenges faced by communities regarding land and resource rights, specifically the lack of recognition for customary laws and state ownership of sub-soil resources. It provides a comprehensive directory of international instruments, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and ILO Convention 169, as well as business and finance guidelines (e.g., UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, IFC Performance Standards) that can be used to empower communities. The guide suggests including customary laws, governance structures, and specific national/international legal references in community protocols to define terms for external engagement and protect cultural and environmental heritage.

The document serves as a guide for indigenous communities to understand and utilize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). It details the historical context of the Declaration, defines 'indigenous peoples' according to international standards, and breaks down the specific individual and collective rights granted under the instrument, including self-determination and free, prior and informed consent. The guide also outlines the responsibilities of States and the UN, provides examples of national and regional implementation, and offers practical pathways for reporting human rights violations through UN mechanisms.

The report analyzes the relationship between human rights NGOs and the law in Colombia, specifically regarding forced displacement between 2002 and 2012. It proposes a typology of legal mobilization: 'appropriation' (strategic use of legal resources), 'adaptation' (weaving existing goals into new legal frameworks), and 'resistance' (proposing alternative frameworks outside dominant legal norms). Through three case studies, it details how Colemad fought 'legal dispossession' of land in the Atlantic coast, how the CNMI integrated indigenous cosmovisions and 'spiritual violence' into national legislation, and how COCA shifted from standard workshops to ancestral healing practices in Putumayo to address the psychological trauma of war. The text also highlights systemic challenges for these organizations, including precarious international funding, the 'privatization of social work,' and persistent insecurity from armed actors.

The report reveals that BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, and BPCE provided $10 billion in financing to Bunge and Cargill between January 2024 and September 2025, despite the traders' exposure to deforestation risks in Brazil. Analysis shows that Bunge and Cargill are linked to 11,800 hectares of deforestation in the Amazon and 91,000 hectares in the Cerrado during this period. The document criticizes the deforestation policies of the involved banks as insufficient, lacking clear objectives, and opaque in their implementation.

The document analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated structural inequalities in Latin America, specifically affecting women's labor participation and health, the vulnerability of indigenous populations regarding food security and healthcare, and the slow integration of green jobs into economic recovery plans. It provides detailed case studies for Mexico, Chile, and Colombia, highlighting gaps in public spending and the need for intersectional policies, improved data collection, and a transition toward a sustainable, low-carbon economy that ensures decent work and social justice.

The document critiques the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry's plan to allocate 20 million hectares of forest for 'food and energy estates'. It argues that this plan constitutes a 'legalization of deforestation' that contradicts Indonesia's global climate commitments (NDC, CBD) and its own FoLU Net Sink 2030 target. The brief highlights the risk of corporate capture, the displacement of Indigenous peoples, and the potential for severe human rights abuses, particularly if the projects are designated as National Strategic Projects (PSN). It emphasizes that food and energy should be treated as human rights rather than business commodities, advocating for local food sovereignty and community-led energy solutions over large-scale industrial estates.

The report provides an economic valuation of the environmental and social losses resulting from the Rempang Eco City project on Pulau Rempang. It finds that the average monthly income of local households (Rp32.77 million) is significantly higher than government claims (Rp3 million), and that the projected environmental losses per household (Rp109 million per month) are more than three times their income. The document criticizes the project's 'green economy' narrative, highlighting the destruction of mangroves, loss of traditional livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and the marginalization of indigenous communities through forced relocation and criminalization.

A coalition of 45 Indonesian civil society organizations calls for urgent improvements in the governance of sustainable commodities, specifically timber, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and rubber, to meet the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). While noting the European Commission's proposal to delay EUDR implementation by 12 months (to December 30, 2025, for large companies and June 30, 2026, for micro and small enterprises), the coalition warns that this delay could slow existing improvement efforts. They urge the government to strengthen existing schemes like ISPO and SVLK, increase supply chain transparency, protect Indigenous peoples' rights through Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and provide technical and financial support to smallholders to ensure global competitiveness and support Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 target.

This fact sheet by Trend Asia examines the failure of biomass power plants (PLTBm) in the Mentawai Islands and the resulting environmental and social impacts. It highlights how a project funded by a US grant led to the deforestation of customary forests when intended bamboo fuel proved unsuitable, while arguing that the region's energy needs should be met through more abundant renewable sources like solar and hydro rather than extractive bioenergy.

The statement criticizes the Three Basins Summit for marginalizing civil society and ignoring the expansion of oil and gas blocks in the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asian basins. The signatories call for a just energy transition, a global moratorium on industrial activities in primary forests, and the legal recognition of Indigenous territories to ensure effective forest protection.