The lifestyle of indigenous people is inherently low-carbon and emphasizes a balance between humans and the natural world. Their traditional practices have a minimal impact on the environment and are adapted to it, promoting sustainable ecosystems.
Indigenous peoples were among the first to notice climate change, and their knowledge and practices help navigate and adapt to its impacts. Indigenous knowledge, which is intergenerational and community-based, is an excellent source of significant climate solutions that can enhance mitigation, improve adaptation, and build resilience. It can also complement scientific data with precise landscape information crucial for assessing climate change scenarios.
Indigenous peoples safeguard around 80 percent of the world's remaining biodiversity, yet they are still excluded from almost all global decision-making processes on climate change. Their collective knowledge, valuable insights, and rights to their ancestral lands, territories, resources, and way of life must be recognized and incorporated into all climate-related policies and actions.