Mapping Indigenous Peoples and local community involvement in emerging Biocredits

This map indicates the sparse knowledge of involvement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biocredits projects. Undertaken as a short desktop research and series of informal conversations, the Taskforce on Nature Markets, in collaboration with the International Institute for Environment and Development(IIED), presents an initial worldwide mapping of where engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities is happening in biocredit markets. This is the first step in a collaborative movement to expand what we know about the subject. Join us and help identify more experiences around the world.

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About this mapping – an invitation to get in touch

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities(IPLCs) are the greatest stewards of forests, rivers and biodiversity due to traditional ways of living in harmony with nature. Although Indigenous lands occupy less than 6% of the planet's surface, they conserve approximately 80% of all biodiversity – with limited or no resource access at all in return.

In recent years, a growing number of communities have been engaging in nature credits markets. Early efforts have started to map various pilot projects and emerging nature credit market schemes but few have identified the degree of involvement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, on the frontlines of stewarding nature. These markets will not succeed in delivering regenerative nature positive outcomes if they remain purely at the level of sovereign states or market levels — IPLCs will need to be directly involved as equal partners in the design, governance and ownership of nature markets going forward, and receive their appropriate share of benefits.

This mapping, undertaken in partnership with the Taskforce on Nature Markets and IIED, based on a background study and series of informal conversations, presents an initial finding of where collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities is happening in emerging biocredit markets. This map is an ongoing contribution to the work of the Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA), including for its CommunityAdvisory Panel (CAP) as well as working groups, and other emerging efforts in support of strengthening the role and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

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Download map as a pdf

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This mapping exercise is an invitation and a rallying call to biocredits stakeholders to collaboratively build and expand the collective knowledge and networks on Indigenous Peoples and local communities as a corner stone for an integrity-based design approach of these markets.

This initial map includes international, regional and country specific organisations and project developers either working with or led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This is not an exhaustive list. If your organisation or an organisation you have worked with in a biodiversity credit project or emerging market scheme is not featured here, please don’t hesitate to reach out to theNatureFinance team: