“We are the answer”: Indigenous Voices Unite for Climate Justice at COP30

“We are the answer”: Indigenous Voices Unite for Climate Justice at COP30

Rituraj Phukan

As the world looks toward COP30—the pivotal UN climate conference set for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil—a powerful alliance of Indigenous peoples has emerged from the Amazon, the Pacific Islands, Australia, and beyond.

Their message is urgent, unified, and unignorable: climate justice cannot wait, and Indigenous leadership must be at the heart of global solutions.

This historic convergence was formally announced at Acampamento Terra Livre (ATL), Brazil’s largest Indigenous gathering, held annually in the capital, Brasília.

The 2025 edition, the largest ever, marked a turning point in climate diplomacy. During the opening ceremony, held beneath the tent of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), a joint declaration was unveiled—a passionate call for justice, recognition, and action ahead of COP30.

A Global Frontline of Resistance

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More than 180 Indigenous, youth, and environmental organizations from around the world, including civil society groups from Nigeria, the Pacific Islands, and Colombia, signed a letter addressed to the COP30 Presidency. Delivered on April 10, the letter demands an urgent and just energy transition, a halt to fossil fuel expansion, and direct climate financing for Indigenous communities.

The initiative, coordinated by 350.org, is part of the global campaign We Are the Answer. The movement affirms what Indigenous peoples have long known—and practiced: that their stewardship of land and water is not only essential to climate survival, but a model for resilience.

This united front insists that COP30 must not be another platform for hollow speeches. Instead, it should become a defining moment where Indigenous people are not just participants—but protagonists with equal voice, decision-making power, and funding.

Parallel Struggles, Shared Stories

The resonance of this declaration extends far beyond Latin America. In Nigeria, environmentalists and Indigenous communities see a familiar narrative. From the oil-polluted creeks of the Niger Delta to the flood-prone coasts of Lagos, the parallels with the Amazon and the Pacific are striking.

“The people who contribute the least to global emissions are paying the highest price,” say advocates from the Niger Delta. They echo the words of George Nacewa of the Pacific Climate Warriors and 350.org Fiji: “Our islands are on the verge of disappearing. If world leaders don’t have the political will, bring us to the table—and we will help you get there.”

These voices aren’t just warnings; they are roadmaps for action.From Abuja to Bogotá to Suva, the message is the same: climate solutions must be rooted in justice and Indigenous knowledge.

In Colombia, Patricia Suarez of OPIAC, representing 64 Indigenous groups from the Amazon, painted a dire picture: “Our territories are being invaded by illegal mining, illicit crops, and armed violence. Decisions made without us are accelerating our disappearance.”

Brazil’s Indigenous Vanguard

The Brazilian Amazon, home to 900,000 Indigenous people, is a vital front in the battle against climate breakdown. These communities inhabit 13% of Brazil’s territory, primarily in the Amazon rainforest—often described as the “lungs of the world.” Yet, they face increasing threats from illegal logging, mining, and land grabs, worsened by government policies that favor economic exploitation over ecological preservation.

A massive Indigenous-led march through Brasília during ATL underscored the urgency. Carrying banners with slogans like “Our lands and untouched forests are the best-preserved lungs of the world”, thousands protested the deforestation and environmental destruction that’s accelerating under state-sanctioned logging.

This activism is not just symbolic. Brazil’s Indigenous territories are among the most biodiverse and well-preserved areas on Earth. Their protection is not optional—it’s essential.

A Call to the Global South

India and other nations across the Global South have much to learn—and much at stake. As these countries prepare for COP30, the Indigenous alliance offers a compelling model: people-centered, justice-driven climate action. For India, grappling with deforestation in the northeast and pressures on biodiversity, the call to center Indigenous knowledge is particularly resonant.

The declaration urges world leaders to support not just climate action, but climate justice. It demands that biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon rainforest and Pacific Ocean receive integral protection, and that climate finance be directly allocated to Indigenous communities.

A Defining Moment

What emerges from Brasília is more than a political statement—it is a moral compass for the climate movement. It challenges the world to reimagine COP30 as more than a diplomatic event. It calls on governments, particularly those from the Global South, to rise with courage and act with justice.

“The Amazon and the Pacific are essential for preserving global biodiversity,” the declaration reads. “This is the time to act—with courage and justice. COP30 cannot be marked by a lack of solutions.”

This coalition does not seek permission to lead. They are already leading—in defending forests, protecting oceans, and sustaining cultures that have coexisted with nature for centuries. Their message is crystal clear:

“The answer is us.”

And for a world at a tipping point, that may be the most important answer of all.

Rituraj Phukan: Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu

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