Kleber Karipuna, President of APIB and Coordinator of the Global Alliance, presenting strategies for effective participation at COP30. Photo by Bärbel Henneberger, EDF
By Bärbel Henneberger, Senior Partnerships Manager, Environmental Defense Fund
For Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) organizations of the Americas, 2025 brings fresh expectations. For the first time, the UNFCCC COP30 will take place in the Amazon Basin, hosted by the city of Belém, in the Brazilian state of Pará. This will present a unique opportunity to cast global attention to the challenges and potential solutions unfolding in the wider Amazon region.
For context, the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is also the largest and most vulnerable deforestation front. WWF estimates that 20 percent of its biome has been lost already, and that 27 percent will be without trees by 2030 if the current rate of forest loss continues. For IPLCs, the forest is the home that sustains all life.
Last week, during a workshop on Indigenous economy, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) organizations from South and Meso America met in the Ecuadorian Amazon to discuss the state of tropical forests and the role of IPLC´s sustainable initiatives. Despite all efforts, illegal timber and gold mining are still powerful drivers of deforestation and the destruction of entire landscapes in the Amazon. However, a call was made for the sustainable use of Nature, and concrete examples were presented of the actions that should be implemented to ensure sustainable forest management. IPLC organizations also agreed that Indigenous bioeconomy will be a key topic to be presented at COP30.
Workshop participants of different Latin American countries learning about different Indigenous bioeconomy enterprises, like sustainable produced chocolate. Photo by Bärbel Henneberger, EDF
Some first strategies and possible key momentums were discussed for the Road to COP30. Effective participation at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and UNFCCC Intersessionals, including SB 62, Climate Week NYC, and regional Climate Weeks, will be key to continued preparation.
For the work towards COP30, large Indigenous organizations in Brazil (APIB, APINME, COIAB and others) launched a campaign called “A Resposta Somos Nós”– “The Answer is Us” to highlight the critical contributions and solutions of IPLCs to the most pressing challenges of sustaining nature.
The initiative seeks to amplify the voices and proposals of Indigenous peoples, local and traditional communities, as well as rural and urban programs, all of which play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future. This campaign serves as the central platform for Indigenous advocacy in Brazil, emphasizing the importance of unity in climate action and drawing attention to the vital intersection of Indigenous knowledge and environmental sustainability.
An important topic presented and discussed at the workshop is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), introduced by Garo Batmanian, Director General of the Brazilian Forest Service, and Steve Schwartzman, AVP of Tropical Forest Policy, of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), as an initial outreach opportunity for regional IPLC groups. Launched during the G20 summit in Brazil last year, the TFFF aims to provide a new financial incentive for tropical forest protection, set to be officially launched at COP30.
This fund will pay for results, rewarding conservation or restoration efforts on a per-hectare basis. A key feature of the initiative is its commitment to ensuring at least 20% participation from Indigenous and Local Communities. Intending to raise $125 billion, the TFFF is actively developing a consultation process with IPLC organizations to ensure their meaningful involvement.
As Kleber Karipuna, President of APIB and Coordinator of the Global Alliance, stated,
The next few months are critical for working together, for initiatives to join each other, and for ensuring the participation of the Indigenous peoples at COP30, making their initiatives visible to the world. We hope to be present at COP30 and parallel events with over 5000 Indigenous representatives.
EDF will continue to support effective participation and the necessary enabling conditions for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to be active participants in international climate processes, ensuring Indigenous voices and their proposals are considered at COP30 UNFCCC.