Helping Indigenous Peoples Meet Their Demands at COP30
The Challenge
More than 5,000 Indigenous Peoples from around the world gathered in Belém, Brazil for the inter-national climate talks at COP30 — and for good reason. Research consistently shows that these forest communities are the best nature stewards, with lower deforestation rates on Indigenous lands compared to other areas. Because tropical forests are critical to regulating the climate and soaking up carbon pollution, these leaders deserve a seat at the negotiating table. Yet despite their proven impact and deep traditional knowledge, they have been sidelined at past meetings. This one was different.
Our Approach
Indigenous Peoples came to COP30 with a list of specific demands. Chief among them: the formal recognition of their land rights as a climate solution. Though many Indigenous territories are remote, they face mounting threats from large-scale agriculture, mining and other destructive activities. Legal recognition of land ownership gives these communities a greater chance of protecting their land from exploitation.
The scores of climate reporters covering the talks expressed a keen interest in hearing from Indigenous leaders about their struggle to secure land rights. Representatives of communities across the tropics — from Brazil to Panama to Indonesia — conducted countless interviews.
Backed by scientific evidence, they delivered a compelling narrative that shaped much of the COP30 coverage.
Results and Impact
Overall, we placed more than 120 original stories about Indigenous Peoples around COP30. This media attention helped drive historic action at the close of negotiations: land rights were formally recognized as a climate solution in the official COP30 agreement. While observers have noted that the results of COP30, overall, were mixed, this outcome marked real progress for Indigenous Peoples.
Brazil’s leading Indigenous organization, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil , summed it up: “We made the conference a lively space for debate, courage and purpose. We showed the world that there is no climate future without us. We remain vigilant and continue to fight, because the answer is us.”