published in Climatic Change
Abstract
Reducing deforestation is critical to climate change mitigation, yet international forest-carbon programs such as REDD+ have often failed to adequately support Indigenous self-determination and territorial defense. This article analyzes climate mitigation efforts in the Amazon through a climate justice lens and proposes twelve principles for a more just approach to forest protection.
We argue that climate mitigation should center Indigenous leadership, territorial defense, and the structural drivers of deforestation rather than placing disproportionate burdens on Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized communities. The framework emphasizes transformative and restorative justice, accountability for forest-risk industries, support for Indigenous governance, and equitable compensation for Indigenous Peoples’ long-term work protecting forests.
Related project: Kawsay Ñampi: Climate Justice & Territorial Defense
Published in: Climatic Change 177, 128 (2024)
