Open Letter:

Global South Voices in Support of REDD+

Despite historically contributing the least to climate change, our communities in the Global South bear the brunt of its impact. We shoulder this burden while simultaneously serving as guardians of what is left of Mother Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems. Using the knowledge passed down from our ancestors, we have effectively managed the Earth’s natural capital for generations and now are the ones preventing the climate crisis from teetering to the point of becoming cataclysmic.

Globally, Indigenous and community lands hold hold at least 22% of the carbon stored in tropical and subtropical forests, 17% of the total carbon stored in forests, and 80% of the world’s biodiversity.. If we are to halt deforestation and keep global warming to 1.5°C by achieving a net-zero world, high-integrity climate finance must be scaled and channeled to Indigenous-led conservation efforts. It is only by respecting our rights, tradition, and ancestral knowledge that the international community will be able to preserve the planet for future generations of all communities and peoples.

As it stands now, there are very few ways for our communities to access the finance that we are due for our efforts and successes in protecting nature. REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) projects provide one of the only proven avenues available to our communities to access the finance required to not only conserve and protect our environments, but also to drive sustainable development for our communities that are shaped by our traditions and values. Recent criticisms on the validity of REDD+ as a conservation mechanism have ignored these positive benefits and have put this critical source of finance at risk–ultimately putting the well-being of our communities at risk.

Not only has the scientific analysis underpinning the critique been repeatedly rebutted, but once again, the voices from our communities were nearly absent from the narrative. In our eyes, well-implemented conservation projects using the REDD+ model are some of the most powerful ways for businesses and governments in the Global North to effectively channel much-needed finance directly to communities in the Global South. This transfer of resources from North to South will ultimately protect climate-critical forests while also prioritizing the livelihoods and needs of our people, bringing forth sustainable development to local communities, and preserving our traditions, cultures, and knowledge. Those who doubt the potential of REDD+ to deliver nature conservation have claimed that the positive impacts of these projects are being overestimated. Yet, no one asked those of us who live on the land in question, what the impacts are, and how we can become partners to strengthen and improve high-integrity climate finance mechanisms, including REDD+ crediting programs, to achieve net zero and protect our land. Whatever new measurement methods yield, they simply cannot stand up to what we see everyday living in and next to what remains of Earth’s natural habitats. Those interested in knowing the impacts of REDD+ projects should be incorporating our knowledge and observations into their analysis if they want an accurate picture.

In addition to the robust effects these projects have on fostering healthy, biodiverse, ecosystems, the anti-REDD+ narrative has failed to take into consideration the robust positive effects REDD+ is having on our communities, including:

Providing us with the resources to build a future defined by our own traditions, cultures, and values

High integrity and quality climate finance, including high-integrity carbon credits, help us generate income from our natural resources on our own terms. Instead of relying on half-hearted aid commitments made by leaders abroad, we can be sure that finance will directly end up in the hands of our communities. Those signing this letter are concerned that recent incorrect criticisms of REDD+ projects will do harmful damage to an essential financing mechanism. We are well aware that this path is not without challenges, but should journalists, or anyone with concerns, have asked for our perspective, it would be clear that there is much more to the REDD+ story than inaccurate measurements of deforestation impacts on our land. We consider REDD+ crediting programs in our territories as the most direct pathway to recognizing, safeguarding, and receiving compensation for our traditional conservation efforts. This is a critical tool to ensure that we have the resources we need to develop and that our future is defined by our own cultures and values.

A clear path toward sustainable development

Well-managed REDD+ projects enable local communities to build strong Indigenous-led and nature-based economies that do not have to depend on extractive activities. Many REDD+ projects also yield impactful societal benefits, including economic ones. We support these projects because, to date, they have provided a significant avenue to secure our legal rights, provide the financial means to value our ancestral practices, and protect our lands and Mother Earth. These projects have created the conditions to strengthen Indigenous finance to drive sustainable livelihood opportunities, access to healthcare and education, women’s empowerment, community development initiatives, and much more. Those in the Global North must do more to ensure our perspectives are being considered before publishing a story that risks taking away critical resources from our communities based on a narrative that doesn't portray the full picture. REDD+ methodologies are not perfect, and we agree on that -- but improvements are being continuously made based on scientific evidence. REDD+ carbon crediting programs must be given the opportunity and support to grow to their full potential as an important part of a market that prioritizes transparency and integrity. However, if our lands, peoples, and posterity are to survive and thrive, we cannot turn our heads away from high-integrity climate finance, including that delivered by carbon markets and REDD+ projects. When it comes to promoting Indigenous-led nature-based solutions, at the scale and speed required to meet global climate targets, they are our most critical resource. We need immediate and steadfast support from Global North governments and buyers – they must keep responsibly engaging with the voluntary carbon market and other REDD+ crediting programs as they continue to evolve and ensure finance continues to flow to the Global South.

This letter is signed by the Indigenous-led groups and organizations working to support Indigenous Peoples in 40+ countries worldwide:

FSC Indigenous Foundation is a global organization created by and for Indigenous Peoples that seeks to provide long-term solutions supporting Indigenous communities worldwide.

The Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC) is a network of 135 Indigenous Peoples’ organizations in 21 African countries. This makes it the largest Indigenous Peoples’ network in the world.

The Peoples Forest Partnership (PFP) is an equitable partnership between forest communities and organizations across all sectors of the economy, civil society, and government committed to driving climate finance directly to Indigenous Peoples, traditional owners, and local communities (IPLC).

The Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) in the alliance of Indigenous Peoples and local communities that protects the largest forested areas from Panama to Mexico. The following global south organizations have also co-signed in support of thisletter: - VNV Advisory Services is an Environmental Services company based in Bangalore, India.

NBS Brazil Alliance is a private is a private, non-profit organization aiming to promote and encourage an agenda to combat deforestation and forest degradation by creating guidelines and good practices, generating a safe and reliable business environment. - BaiAni Foundation provides support to cacao and abaca smallholder farmers in an integrated landscape approach that fuses economic development as well as environmental protection.

Integradora de Comunidades Indígenas y Campesinas de Oaxaca (ICICO) is a non-profit organization comprised of 12 communities from five regions of the state of Oaxaca, dedicated to promoting sustainable development, employment generation, local capacity building, as well as the maintenance, improvement, and conservation of forest, agroforestry and agricultural ecosystems of the communities.