Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions

Natural climate solutions are climate change initiatives that “draw on the power of nature to reduce emissions, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and store it in natural systems.” According to a report by Nature United, “natural climate solutions could reduce Canada’s greenhouse gases by as much as 78 million tonnes a year in 2030.”

In 2020 the Government of Canada developed a funding program for Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions (INCS) with the intention to support Indigenous communities “to undertake on-the-ground activities for ecological restoration, improved land management, and conservation” to facilitate resilience to climate change and “human well-being.” The Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions map shows initiatives across Canada that have received funding in the first two years of the program. Natural climate solutions work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; however, desired outcomes of those initiatives funded by the program can also include:

• increased community resilience and adaptation to climate change,
• improvements in food security,
• support for species at risk and/or species of cultural importance,
• increased capacity and economic opportunities, and
• the intergenerational transfer of knowledge.

As part of the INCS, the Government of Canada has committed to invest three billion dollars to support planting two billion trees, develop urban forest plans, and initiate measures that will facilitate carbon sequestration, “the practice of capturing and storing carbon dioxide.” Investments into Indigenous-led conservation and natural climate solutions in Canada are expected to create new jobs and revenue streams for Indigenous communities and expand protected areas by 30 percent by 2030.

 

By Leela Viswanathan

 

(Image Credit: Dave, Unsplash [Z9d7CYpBDqo]).