Reflections and Recommendations For A Path to More Equitable Environmental Markets - let's start with data.

Recognized as stakeholders, but still not shareholders.

Indigenous Peoples (IPs) are at the forefront of nature action, leveraging their deep connections to the land. Global agreements recognize their invaluable contributions, emphasizing full participation in decision-making and, compensation for their ecological and genomic data knowledge. Yet, IPs are often marginalized in research, technology development, and data interpretation, relegated to low-level roles, or tokenized in FPIC processes, community engagement, and capacity building.

Their knowledge systems and land management practices are frequently overlooked in global conversations and initiatives surrounding environmental markets.

Climate Collective teamed up with Kinray Hub: Indigenous R&D Think-Do Tank and other experts to highlight some opportunities for Indigenous Peoples' meaningful participation across environmental markets*, advocating for a fundamental shift towards "Indigenous Shareholder-ship". We tried to be as specific as possible to make sure these are actionable suggestions for how the growing community of project developers, nonprofits, naturetech companies and AI-for-conservation efforts.

*carbon, biodiversity, eco-products, etc

Here are some behaviors we're seeing that are counterproductive to unlocking high integrity environmental markets:

• Tokenistic Engagement: Indigenous communities are often relegated to superficial roles, such as tool testing or data collection, with limited involvement in decision-making processes. This exclusion perpetuates extractive practices and ignores the value of Indigenous knowledge.  
• Flawed Consultation: The prevalent model of community consultation is often a top-down exercise that fails to genuinely incorporate Indigenous perspectives. These consultations can be marred by power imbalances, communication gaps, and a lack of accountability.  
• Temporal Clash: The urgency of market-driven initiatives often clashes with Indigenous cultures' emphasis on long-term relationships, cyclical time, and collective decision-making. This temporal dissonance can hinder effective collaboration.  
• Inequitable Benefit-Sharing: Indigenous stewards frequently receive disproportionately small compensation for their contributions, while project developers and financiers reap the majority of the benefits. This echoes historical patterns of exploitation, such as the fur trade, where Indigenous Peoples were grossly undercompensated for their resources and knowledge.  
• Data Exploitation: The value of Indigenous knowledge in monitoring and stewardship is often reduced to mere data points, neglecting Indigenous Peoples' rights to control and own data related to their lands and cultures (Indigenous Data Sovereignty). 

A Call for Change: Pathways to Meaningful Engagement

Climate Collective's white-paper outlines several key recommendations to foster more equitable and effective partnerships:

• Walk Alongside the Community: Beyond formal consultations, invest time in building genuine relationships through shared experiences and daily interactions. This approach fosters deeper understanding and trust.  
• Ensure Representation at All Levels: Actively include Indigenous Peoples in decision-making bodies and provide the necessary support for their meaningful participation. This includes financial support to overcome barriers to access.  
• Empower "Cultural Lawyers": Recognize and support the role of "Cultural Lawyers" or Translational Leaders who can bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and external stakeholders, facilitating effective communication and collaboration.  
• Prioritize Accountability: Establish clear mechanisms for tracking community input and demonstrating how it influences project outcomes. Transparency and responsiveness are crucial for building trust.  
• Respect Existing Frameworks: Invest time in understanding the relevant national, jurisdictional, and community governance structures to ensure alignment and respect for Indigenous decision-making processes.  
• Redesign Business Models: Move beyond extractive models and one-off payments towards equitable partnerships that recognize Indigenous Peoples as owners and partners. This includes fair valuation of Indigenous stewardship and shared ownership in projects.  
• Ensure Data Sovereignty: Uphold Indigenous Data Sovereignty, recognizing Indigenous Peoples' right to control the collection, governance, ownership, and application of data related to their lands and cultures.  
• Embrace Binocular Capacity Building: Foster reciprocal learning environments that value both Indigenous knowledge systems and Western science, creating opportunities for shared growth and understanding.  
• Support Holistic Training: Provide training that goes beyond specific tasks, empowering Indigenous communities with the skills and knowledge needed for long-term self-determination and sustainable development.  

A concrete way to ignite this shift? Let's focus on data!

As the world is embarking on a data-powered AI-economy, we think data is at the center for the opportunity to rebuild nature and climate markets centered around equity and agency.

Our paper calls for a fundamental shift in how we approach environmental markets, advocating for the centering of Indigenous Shareholder-ship. It requires a move away from "business-as-usual" towards new paradigms of partnership, incorporating Indigenous wisdom and self-governance into the design and implementation of projects.

We're seeing a number of exciting AI-powered tools for corporate nature reporting, dMRV for nature based projects and other types of earth observations. Many of these are making use of data collected on or around Indigenous People's lands and knowledge. Having clear guidelines for how to manage and govern such data will make sure its positive impacts and intents are realized.

Together with NaturaTech LAC and Kinray Hub: Indigenous R&D Think-Do Tank we are coordinating a global process to establish clear guidelines for collection, storage, and utilization of Indigenous Peoples related nature data. We are centering this work around the 2018 'Be FAIR and CARE Principles' ** . This work is happening in close collaboration with Indigenous People's leaders, Cultural Lawyers, Naturetech companies, environmental nonprofits, academics and others who are ready to roll up their sleeves to unlock the full potential of environmental markets to drive a more just future where all can thrive.

1. Working in vicinity of Indigenous Peoples? Take a look at our recommendations. The report can be found here:
2. Want to join the coalition working to draft a data governance framework? Please get in touch!
3. New to the topic and want to learn more? Here are some great resources:

AJ Bird 's podcast 'Better Worlds': https://open.spotify.com/show/1ETnA7y4d3TLSOPv0GuHLO?si=a22f4def68004118.

WarīNkwī Flores 's recent paper on Indigenous Data Sovreignty and AI: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wariflores_ai-and-indigenous-self-determination-activity-7320697424061124609-ZhIg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABQFAIBXSpaA5KbFmIiDjJirSl5h1vgL-w

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) 's brief on Nature Related Finance and Indigenous Peoples via Jessica Smith : https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessica-smith-green_preview-of-new-unep-fi-brief-activity-7321420122051551232-OoKN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABQFAIBXSpaA5KbFmIiDjJirSl5h1vgL-w

Rights of Nature work via Savimbo and Drea Burbank : https://www.garn.org/rights-of-nature/

Applying the CARE Principles in ecology and biodiversity research via Lydia Jennings : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d3799de845604000199cd24/t/65135f4af00a121ebfca69e2/1695768395731/s41559-023-02161-2.pdf

** The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are people and purpose-oriented, reflecting the crucial role of data in advancing Indigenous innovation and self-determination. They were were drafted at the International Data Week and Research Data Alliance Plenary co-hosted event “Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles for the Governance of Indigenous Data Workshop,” 8 November 2018, Gaborone, Botswana.