Date: July 17, 2025
Time: 9-10:30 EST | 15:00-16:30 CEST
As COP30 in Belém, Brazil quickly approaches, Indigenous Peoples are continuing to rise to the forefront of global climate leadership. Most recently during the 21st Free Land Camp (ATL), the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) launched a historic initiative: an Indigenous Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The first of its kind and rooted in ancestral knowledge, the Indigenous NDC reinforces that the climate debate must consider equity, self-determination, and the effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in the implementation of Brazil’s and Colombia’s NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
This webinar proposes a timely and necessary conversation that builds on the outcomes of recent negotiations and convenings, including the Indigenous Pre-COP and other key climate governance moments. As governments continue to update and implement their Nationally Determined Contributions, it is increasingly urgent to examine how these climate commitments can center the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The discussion will explore the emerging concept of Indigenous NDCs, examining their potential as tools for political leverage, climate justice, and resistance to regressive policies. At the same time, the webinar will critically assess the risk of such mechanisms becoming symbolic or performative without meaningful structural change. By highlighting ongoing efforts to secure land rights and integrate them into national climate frameworks, this dialogue will map the progress made by Indigenous Peoples in asserting their leadership within NDCs. It will also identify pathways for shared advocacy and joint leadership in advancing rights-based climate action.