Peoples Forests Partnership Welcomes Five New Indigenous and Community Members

On March 8th 2023, the Peoples Forests Partnership welcomed five new members to its global platform who are working to rapidly scale direct climate finance to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

New Peoples Forests Partnership members include:

• The Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), representative of 135 indigenous peoples’ organizations in twenty African countries

• The Ixtlán de Juárez Community in Oaxaca State, Mexico

• Community-Based Biosynergy Management, a community conservation group in Cameroon

• The Banyang-MBO Landscape Forest Management Association in Cameroon

• Tribes and Nature Defenders, an Indigenous-led NGO in the Philippines

These new members join the current Peoples Forest Partnership members, which include the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), the Mesoamerican Alliance of People and Forests, RECOFTC, Forest Trends, the Center for Indigenous Peoples' Research and Development, Wildlife Works, Everland, Greencollar, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon (CONFENIAE), the Confederation of Amazonian Nationalities of Peru (CONAP), Cuencas Sagradas Amazónicas, and Fundación Pachamama.

Collectively, the group's members represent over 250,000 indigenous and other forest community members accessing direct climate finance, over two million hectares of tropical forests under community management, and active projects in over a dozen countries.

“With a global platform like this, [we have] the opportunity to learn from the experiences of other forest management committees or indigenous forest peoples, so that we can learn … how they have been able to overcome some of their common problems,” Chief Etuge Augustine, the Director General of Banyang-MBO Bassosi Landscape Forest Management Association in Cameroon. “[We want] to contribute our own experience from Cameroon and use this platform to … improve the livelihoods of our people.”

Peoples Forests Partnership members coordinate to support the growth of equitable and high-integrity community-based carbon and forest conservation projects. The group has led calls to mobilize $20 billion annually by 2030 in climate finance for forest communities. It has also published a set of governing principles for investing directly in community-based carbon offsets and conservation.

“I know that the Partnership was created to make sure carbon offsetting doesn’t infringe on the rights of IPLCs. We know that carbon credits – that were designed to be the solution- sometimes can be a problem,” says Denis Etiendem Ndeloh from Community-Based Biosynergy Management.

Denis Etiendem Ndeloh from Community-Based Biosynergy Management

“We are looking for partners to support us with indigenous-led projects using indigenous knowledge. We want the indigenous knowledge to be integrated with the project,” says Datu Lunelio Sancoan from Tribes and Nature Defenders. “That is why [we] are interested in applying to this organization.”

Datu Lunelio Sancoan from Tribes and Nature Defenders at the most recent Peoples Forests Partnership Zoom meeting.

“I think these alliances among different groups are what matters most to promote learning. It’s been very helpful already. That’s what the Peoples Forests Partnership brings,” says Alina Santiago from the Ixtlán de Juárez Community.

Alina Santiago from the Ixtlán de Juárez Community and

new Peoples Forests Partnership member

Membership is open to companies, investors, IPLC organizations, and NGOs. Members have the opportunity to participate in direct dialogues between IPLCs, carbon project developers, and funders, as well as access to technical support, information, and other resources.

Mike Korchinsky, Founder of Wildlife Works and

member of the Peoples Forests Partnership

“Within the Peoples Forests Partnership, you have access to a network and experience that you can use. However, the unique work of this initiative is that it seeks climate financing for its members and engages with them as directly as possible,” says Mike Korchinsky, CEO of Wildlife Works.

Carla Cardenas, Senior Manager of Peoples Forests Partnership

& Climate Policy Advisor at Forest Trends

“The Peoples Forests Partnership is a partnership where all members have equal power to decide and vote. Without doubt, every member is bringing to our initiative its collective wisdom, knowledge, and spirit that is enriching our vision and commitment to channel climate resources to IPLC organizations,” says Carla Cardenas, Senior Manager of Peoples Forests Partnership & Climate Policy Advisor at Forest Trends.

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About the Peoples Forests Partnership:

The Peoples Forests Partnership is a major global initiative to rapidly scale up climate finance going directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). Launched at COP26, the Peoples Forests Partnership aims to use the voluntary carbon markets to assure equitable, accessible, and culturally appropriate investment partnerships with IPLCs to protect the environment, while setting the best-in-class standard for forest communities to engage with climate finance. The Peoples Forests Partnership is aiming to mobilize $20 billion annually by 2030 in direct private investment in community-driven forest conservation and restoration projects.

For enquiries about the Peoples Forests Partnership and the application process, contact:

Carla Cardenas, Senior Manager, Peoples Forests Partnership & Climate Policy Advisor, Forest Trends / ccardenas@forest-trends.org