Biodiversity thrives in the care of Indigenous communities. As much as 80% of the world’s remaining forest biodiversity lies within Indigenous Peoples’ territories, and Indigenous and community lands store at least 24% of the above-ground carbon in the world’s tropical forests

We must be the good caretaker and not the bad landlords. It’s not just Indigenous Peoples, it’s all human beings. It’s all plant life, it’s all water bodies, our sky relatives. We are all related.

Our discussions and rich exchanges in Girkonjárga-Kirkenes will undoubtedly guide and shape our collective climate change initiatives moving forward. The LCIPP under the UNFCCC offers an inclusive space to share these outcomes. It is a platform to discuss the impacts of climate change on our lives and the Arctic, to identify needs, and to reshape the global approach to nature and climate change.