Access our collection of research papers, case studies, and academic resources.

The Global Study on Indigenous Peoples’ Climate Contributions aims to examine the practices, experiences, interpretations, and responses of Indigenous Peoples to climate variability and change.

The study emphasizes a rights- and responsibilities-based approach, highlighting Indigenous Peoples as agents of change in climate action at local, regional, national, and international levels. It will focus on case studies from the seven socio-cultural regions of Indigenous Peoples: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Arctic, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern Europe, illustrating their contributions to climate ambition, mitigation, adaptation, and finance.

The study will showcase Indigenous knowledge systems and practices as vital for climate action while documenting the impacts of loss and damage experienced by Indigenous Peoples, despite their low carbon footprints. This approach will also underscore the necessity of climate justice, particularly in the context of territorial management practices that reflect diverse lifestyles, including hunting, fishing, herding, and cultivation.

The goal of the study is to be as comprehensive as possible and include as many case studies as feasible within the available resources. Case studies will initially be drawn from relevant publications such as:

• Advanced Guard
• For Our Future: Indigenous Resilience Report
• IPCC Reports
• IPBES Reports
• Weathering Uncertainty: Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Assessment and Adaptation
• Climate Change Mitigation with Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples: Practices, Lessons Learned, and Prospects

This is an open call for concrete case studies to promote engagement and ensure the greatest possible coverage.

Criteria for Case Studies:

1. 1. Relevance to Climate Change
      Case studies should document observations or responses by Indigenous Peoples as deliberate reactions to climate triggers.
   2. Indigenous Peoples-Led and Engaged
      Case studies should demonstrate either full engagement by Indigenous Peoples (i.e., projects implemented by an Indigenous organization or designed exclusively to benefit Indigenous communities) or strong involvement of Indigenous Peoples (i.e., projects with distinct components or sub-projects specifically benefiting Indigenous communities or carried out by Indigenous organizations).
   3. Relevant to Indigenous Efforts to Access Climate Finance
      Case studies should include:
      • The primary country or region where the activity is implemented
      • A few key terms
      • A one- or two-paragraph summary of the initiative and its outcomes
      • References for further information, focusing on either the impacts of climate change on Indigenous Peoples or the actions they are taking to address these impacts

Case studies can draw on and cite:

• Published and peer-reviewed literature
• Quotations from Elders
• Public project documents
• Videos and multimedia
• Online works, art, and personal stories

We want to hear from people who are willing to share their ideas and experiences, no matter how small. Many Indigenous stewards and land managers have experiences that can contribute to this project – the more voices involved, the more valuable our guidelines will be in informing and influencing land stewardship.

We also welcome input from non-Indigenous partners (NGOs, government agencies, etc.) who would like to co-develop a case study with one or more Indigenous partners.

Once you contact us, we will reach out to find the best way for you to share your story or insights.

To be part of this important project, please send an email to the project coordinator
at ipglobalstudy@gmail.com.