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This research project investigates how to bridge the gap in local-scale biodiversity conservation by identifying governance modalities that can incorporate traditional and local knowledge while navigating divergent interests. Using a transdisciplinary approach with a mixed-methods study across four countries, the project aims to identify barriers and enablers to inclusive governance and produce actionable science outputs and practice guidelines for decision-makers.

The document unpacks the IPCC's findings on how systemic inequalities—including gender, race, and socio-economic status—increase vulnerability to climate change. It argues that adaptation efforts are more effective and less likely to be maladaptive when they incorporate inclusive participation, diverse knowledge systems, and a focus on climate justice. The brief uses illustrative examples from Africa to demonstrate how marginalized groups, such as Indigenous Peoples and women, experience disproportionate impacts and how community-based, human rights-based approaches can generate social co-benefits.

The document translates the technical findings of the IPCC's Working Group II report into accessible messages, emphasizing that vulnerability to climate change is driven by systemic inequalities. It argues that adaptation efforts are more effective and just when they integrate gender, equity, and justice, and warns that ignoring these factors leads to 'maladaptation'. The briefing advocates for inclusive participation, the integration of indigenous and local knowledge, and a shift toward 'climate-resilient development' that addresses the root causes of vulnerability.

Canada has established a legal framework centered on the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (2021), which mandates a binding process for setting emission targets and reporting progress. This system is supported by the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, carbon pricing via the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, and the creation of an independent Net Zero Advisory Body that integrates scientific and Indigenous knowledge.

The document outlines eleven reasons why the media should report on disaster risk reduction (DRR), framing it as a multifaceted issue spanning politics, economics, human rights, environment, culture, gender, and health. It emphasizes that media coverage can save lives by disseminating early warnings, holding governments accountable for bad governance or corruption, and highlighting the role of traditional knowledge in survival. The guide notes that disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity due to factors like climate change and environmental degradation, with 2022 damages totaling approximately $270bn.

The document outlines four primary areas for federal sustainable jobs policies to support Indigenous Peoples in Canada: advancing joint governance, supporting Indigenous-specific definitions of sustainable jobs, enabling equity through flexible funding and procurement, and scaling up workforce capacity through education and wrap-around supports.

The report examines the case for eco-certification in Manitoba's commercial fisheries, highlighting the risk of losing international markets—particularly in Europe and the US—due to a lack of certification. It analyzes the costs and benefits for different lake sizes, noting that larger lakes see a higher return on investment. The document also discusses socio-economic and ecological co-benefits, such as improved stock health and community pride, while emphasizing the need to respect Indigenous Knowledge systems. It concludes with seven recommendations for the provincial government to prioritize funding and staffing to support the certification process.

The document synthesizes international standards—including those from the IUCN, CBD, and FEBA—into a practical framework for nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation. It defines NbS for adaptation as actions that protect, restore, and manage ecosystems to strengthen the resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change. The core of the brief is a set of eight good practices, which include conducting climate risk assessments, ensuring equitable distribution of benefits, prioritizing biodiversity health, and employing inclusive governance. Notably, the brief introduces a conflict-sensitive approach to minimize the risk of exacerbating tensions through adaptation actions.

The document distills evidence from the IPCC WGII report to highlight how systemic inequalities increase climate vulnerability and argues that inclusive, justice-based adaptation planning leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

The document synthesizes research from the IPCC's Working Group II to highlight how gender, equity, and justice are critical to effective climate adaptation. It identifies highly vulnerable groups—including women, children, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities—and argues that ignoring these social dimensions leads to 'maladaptation.' The briefing advocates for inclusive participation, the integration of indigenous and local knowledge, and a rights-based approach to ensure that adaptation efforts are equitable and sustainable.

The OvaHerero people of Kaokoland, semi-nomadic pastoralists in Namibia and Angola, developed a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) between March 2022 and June 2024. Supported by Natural Justice and International Rivers, the process involved six phases: securing community buy-in, capacity building, research across 34 villages and four museums, iterative community validation, translation into the OtjiHerero language, and official launch. The BCP serves as a tool to safeguard traditional knowledge against threats from climate change and infrastructure development, and to ensure free, prior, and informed consent for external parties engaging in research, tourism, or development on their territories.

The report details the negative impacts of Ikwezi Mining's blasting operations on local communities, including structural damage to homes, psychosocial trauma in children, and cultural disruption. It highlights a lack of adequate blasting notices and a non-functional grievance mechanism, while recommending formalized blasting standards for rural South African communities.

The document examines the structural exclusion of Inuit from Canada's federal climate policy and proposes a shift toward an 'Indigenous resurgence paradigm' to ensure equitable representation. It identifies barriers such as tokenistic engagement and the failure to differentiate between northern and southern regional needs. The study highlights existing frameworks, such as the National Inuit Climate Change Strategy and the Circumpolar Inuit Protocols for Equitable and Ethical Engagement, as essential guides for achieving Inuit-led climate justice.

The document examines the role of First Nations' Ceremony in shaping climate policy in British Columbia, highlighting the disconnect between colonial policy frameworks and Indigenous worldviews. It argues that Ceremony is not merely symbolic but a pragmatic governance tool that fosters interconnectedness and responsibility toward the Land. The authors critique historical and current Canadian policies for marginalizing Indigenous rights and recommend a paradigm shift that centres the well-being of the Land, implements UNDRIP, and integrates Ceremony into co-development processes between governments and First Nations.

The document examines how Indigenous seed keepers in Canada adapt ancestral and new seed varieties to changing climatic conditions to ensure food sovereignty. It highlights that these efforts are severely hindered by the legacy of colonialism—including land dispossession and the disruption of intergenerational knowledge transfer—and by a lack of culturally appropriate, multi-year funding. The report further argues that Canadian federal climate and agricultural strategies, such as the National Adaptation Strategy and the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, largely erase Indigenous leadership and fail to recognize seed conservation as a critical climate action.

The document examines the structural exclusion of Inuit people from Canada's federal climate policy framework, highlighting the failure to respect the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It identifies key barriers, such as the lack of regional differentiation between Northern and Southern Canada and the tendency for government engagement to be symbolic rather than substantive. The study advocates for a 'paradigm of indigenous resurgence' to center Inuit knowledge, land-based relations, and inclusive community mobilization. It references the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's National Inuit Climate Change Strategy and the Inuit Circumpolar Council's protocols as essential frameworks for ethical engagement and climate justice.

The document assesses the current state of bioeconomy strategies across G20 nations, identifying three primary thematic axes: biotechnology (R&D&I), bioresources (sustainable use of biodiversity), and bio-ecology (sustainable development). It highlights the significant economic potential of the sector, citing estimates that its value could reach US$30 trillion by 2050. The report emphasizes the necessity of integrating indigenous and local knowledge, ensuring social equity, and aligning bioeconomy growth with biodiversity conservation and climate action. It further examines policy enablers such as Green Public Procurement and carbon pricing, and discusses financing mechanisms including nature markets and sustainability-linked bonds. The report concludes by proposing five key themes for the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy's program of work: integration into growth plans, livelihoods and equity, enabling finance, facilitating biotrade, and measurement methodologies.

The 'Resilient Puna' project is a 6-year initiative in the Southern High Andes of Peru (SHAP) designed to restore and conserve 23,914 hectares of Puna ecosystems (peatlands, wetlands, and grasslands). The project focuses on enhancing the resilience of 60,715 direct beneficiaries, primarily Quechua Indigenous Peoples, by integrating ancestral knowledge with modern science to implement EbA measures and develop Climate Resilient Value Chains (CRVC). A central feature is the 'Puna Facility,' a financial mechanism managed by Profonanpe that provides non-repayable and repayable grants to local initiatives. The project also aims to mainstream EbA into national and regional governance, improve water security for over 2 million indirect beneficiaries, and achieve a mitigation co-benefit of 407,657 tCO2eq.

The Biocultural Community Protocol (PCB) for Niafrang, Senegal, serves as a guide for the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of traditional knowledge. It details the village's diverse ecosystems—including a critical mineralized dune—and outlines traditional governance structures based on consensus. The document specifically highlights the threat posed by zircon mining projects, which the community opposes due to potential ecological damage to rice fields and water security. It also catalogs local biodiversity and medicinal plants, establishing a framework for 'prior informed consent' for any external access to genetic resources.

The Biocultural Community Protocol for Niafrang serves as a guide for the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of traditional knowledge. It details the village's ecosystem, including its critical dune system, and outlines the socio-economic reliance on palm oil, rice, and forest products. The document highlights severe threats from a proposed zircon mining project, which the community argues would destroy a vital hydraulic barrier and disrupt local agriculture. It establishes a framework for access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources and reaffirms the community's commitment to protecting its environment and customary laws.