When I came across the issue of climate change in 2005, I was more concerned with how to stop the devastation of indigenous lands by large-scale mining and mega-dams. I was working with indigenous communities to let decision-makers at the local and national level know that such development projects are not only making us worse off, but also violate our rights and undermine our distinct cultures and ways of life.

Later, I came to realize that these issues are actually linked to climate change, and that decisions are taken at the global level to combat climate change. Large dams, for example, are considered “clean energy” under the Clean Development Mechanism. Later came the concept of REDD (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries) as a key solution to prevent global warming. Forests are suddenly regarded as the treasure for the carbon market that is expected to provide poor countries with huge amount of funds. The discussions and negotiations are happening at the global level, while millions of indigenous peoples, who are the custodians of forests and whose lives, culture and dignity are intricately link with their forest, are not on the table. Many indigenous communities are suddenly being restricted or criminalized for their activities in the forest or are to be evicted in the name of forest conservation.

These are the peoples with the least carbon footprint and whose lifeways have protected and nurtured many of the remaining biodiversity-rich areas of the world.