From the Territories, Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and Traditional Communities Set the Climate Agenda—Will the World Listen?

As COP30 approaches, Indigenous Peoples, Afrodescendant Peoples, and Traditional Communities—including Babassu Coconut Breakers (quebradeiras de coco babaçu)—are setting the terms for climate justice. Through organised Pre-COP gatherings, public communiqués, and formal declarations delivered directly to President Lula, these frontline communities are advancing a bold agenda to shape Brazil’s and the region’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Their demands—rooted in ancestral knowledge, territorial rights, and systemic transformation—seek to ensure that national climate commitments reflect the lived realities and leadership of those who have long protected land, forests, and waters.

Together, they are not only shaping the road to Belém—they are laying the groundwork for a climate policy rooted in justice, sovereignty, and survival.

Afrodescendant Peoples Set the Stage: “We Are Present in All Biomes”

From 26–30 May, Afrodescendant leaders from 16 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Brasília under the Coalition of Afrodescendant Peoples and Territories (CITAFRO). Representing over 150 million people—and more than 8,000 quilombola communities in Brazil alone—they released their communiqué on 29 May, calling for recognition as political subjects of collective rights within the UNFCCC, and for their full integration into national and global climate frameworks.

“For us, this space is very important, as is the recognition of the role Afrodescendants play in preserving and contributing to climate balance. We, quilombolas, represent more than 8,441 communities across Brazil. We are present in all biomes,” emphasised Biko Rodrigues, Executive Coordinator of CONAQ. – (Agencia Brasil)

The CITAFRO communiqué stressed that Afrodescendant territories—covering more than 200 million hectares across Latin America—play a vital role in carbon storage, biodiversity, and food security. Yet only 5% of these lands are formally titled, and most national NDCs still fail to include them.

“Brazil needs to include in the annex of its commitments and goals the recognition that there is no climate solution without land regularisation. It is also impossible to discuss land management without establishing specific and targeted goals for quilombola communities. Likewise, it is not possible to discuss climate finance without addressing how this financing will be used to regularise these territories,” argued Kátia Penha, Brazil’s CITAFRO representative and a CONAQ coordinator. (Agencia Brasil)

The coalition’s proposals were presented to COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, who acknowledged the urgency:

“You can count on my deep support, enthusiasm, and commitment to this effort. Please hold me accountable. Test my patience if you must—this issue deserves our utmost attention.”

CITAFRO’s Key Demands for COP30 and NDC Integration Include:

• Legal recognition as political collectives within the UNFCCC framework.
• Direct access to climate finance through Afro-led funds and institutions.
• Protection and formal titling of over 200 million hectares of ancestral lands.
• Inclusion in national NDCs, with clear tracking of climate-related losses in Afro-descendant territories.
• Safeguards against carbon market land grabs and displacement by extractive industries.
• Participation in the Baku Work Programme and other UNFCCC decision-making processes.
• A just energy transition that guarantees land rights, community-managed renewable energy, and dignified, technically supported employment—especially for Afro-descendant women and youth.

Indigenous Peoples: “For the Climate, for the Amazon, We Are the Answer”

In early June, the G9 network—a coalition of Indigenous organisations from all nine Amazon Basin countries—gathered in Brasília to deliver a unified Indigenous declaration aimed at shaping Brazil’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Their message is clear: without land demarcation, there can be no credible climate strategy.

Throughout the convening, demarcation emerged as a non-negotiable pillar of climate mitigation. Indigenous leaders made it clear that the recognition of their territories—through titling, legal protection, and autonomous governance—is not a separate agenda from environmental action, but its foundation. Territorial integrity, they argued, is what enables the preservation of standing forests, biodiversity, and traditional knowledge systems essential for climate balance.

Ângela Kaxuyana, a COIAB coordinator and key voice in Brazil’s Indigenous movement, presented the declaration during the high-level meeting with Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara. She also reiterated a powerful slogan carried by APIB’s national campaign and widely echoed by the G9 network:

“Pelo clima e pela Amazônia, a resposta somos nós. For the climate, for the Amazon, we are the answer.”

The phrase reflects a political truth: Indigenous leadership must not be symbolic—it must guide national climate goals, including the design and execution of NDCs. As custodians of nearly 30% of the Amazon, Indigenous Peoples have successfully protected many of the biome’s last intact forests. This stewardship is not coincidental—it is the result of traditional governance systems, ancestral knowledge, and a continuous fight for territorial rights.

“Indigenous Peoples are the first to feel the impact of destruction, yet we are the ones who have the answers to restoring balance,” said Kaxuyana.

“Our fight is to care for our lives,” added Gineva Kayabi, Treasurer of COIAB.

Their proposal demands that Brazil’s NDCs formally incorporate Indigenous territorial rights, knowledge systems, and governance structures—not as symbolic acknowledgements, but as measurable components of climate mitigation and adaptation.

Key Indigenous Demands Heading into COP30:

• Formal recognition of Indigenous territories in Brazil’s NDCs as key to climate mitigation and adaptation.
• Direct access to climate finance through Indigenous-led mechanisms.
• Representation in national and global climate decision-making bodies.
• Protection for Indigenous environmental defenders.
• Recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems as valid and essential climate science.
• Establishment of no-extraction zones in Indigenous territories to preserve biodiversity and cultural integrity.

Traditional Communities: “Territory Is Life, Is Climate, Is Resistance”

From 8–10 July, the National Network of Traditional Peoples and Communities of Brazil (PCTs)—which includes babassu coconut breakers, riverine communities, cerrado dwellers (geraizeiros), extractivist communities, and other rural and forest-based groups—held their Pre-COP meeting in Brasília. Organised with the Interstate Movement of Babassu Coconut Breaker Women (MIQCB), the gathering produced a powerful declaration delivered to President Lula.

The declaration highlights that their territories—often misclassified or overlapping with conservation units and agrarian reform projects—remain invisible in national land registries, making them vulnerable to land grabs and climate threats.

At the event, Brazil’s Minister of Agrarian Development Paulo Teixeira voiced his support:

“You are the ones who keep the forest standing. What destroys the forest increases global warming and leads to disasters. I want to express my solidarity with the more than three hundred families in the U.S. who lost loved ones due to extreme climate events. You preserve well-being. You fight for a different kind of society—one based on solidarity and the commons. That is the society we want to build.”

A standout example of bottom-up climate action is the Babaçu Fund, created by MIQCB to support autonomous, women-led resource management in traditional territories.

Marinalda Rodrigues, a leader with MIQCB, explained its purpose:

“The Babaçu Fund was born from the struggle of the coconut breakers and MIQCB’s commitment to the autonomy of our territories. We’ve always said it’s not enough to recognise traditional peoples as forest guardians—you must finance those who are there, day after day, sustaining biomes and ways of life. The fund is a tool we created. Direct financing is essential to get resources where real transformation happens. And this Pre-COP shows we’re on the right path: strengthening our strategies and proving that climate justice only exists with territorial justice.”

Traditional Peoples’ Demands for COP30 and NDC Alignment Include:

• Titling and legal recognition of 27 million hectares of traditional territories by 2026.
• Inclusion of Traditional Peoples in Brazil’s NDCs, with specific targets and an annex.
• Minimum public budget of R$225 million per year for land regularisation.
• Legal veto power over harmful land-use projects, including mining, agribusiness, and mega-infrastructure.
• Climate finance mechanisms adapted to community realities and sociobiodiversity-based economies.
• Protection for women leaders, youth, and environmental defenders in traditional communities.
• Recognition of traditional education systems and production models as pillars of climate resilience.

International Engagement: Amazon Basin Commitment

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) participated in the Indigenous Peoples’ Pre-COP gathering, reinforcing its commitment to Indigenous land tenure and rights in the Amazon. Representatives engaged with Indigenous organisations such as COIAB and the Podáali Fund, as well as with national institutions like FUNAI and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples.

“We have a lot to learn from you,” said Maggie Charnley, Head of International Forests at the FCDO, during one of the sessions—echoing the spirit of reciprocity and mutual accountability many Indigenous leaders have called for in global climate partnerships.

Toward Belém: From Demands to Political Action

These organisations and movements have delivered detailed, politically grounded proposals. Each declaration is a concrete contribution to Brazil’s NDC revision process and a test of whether COP30 will deliver climate policy rooted in justice.

Afrodescendant, Indigenous, and Traditional Communities have made it clear what a just transition requires: land rights, territorial governance, direct financing, and the full power to shape policy.

Now the responsibility lies with governments, donors, and climate institutions. The path to Belém runs through their territories. The question is: will the world follow?