As world governments convene in Madrid to participate in COP 25, indigenous peoples are also making their voices heard and their presence felt. Many indigenous leaders and their allies will be in Madrid during the conference to offer tangible solutions to address our shared climate emergency. The Conferences of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC, which was established to lead the international response to climate change.
As an alternative to the official COP proceedings – which will be dominated by governments and industries – indigenous peoples are organizing a separate Minga Indígena gathering to promote learning, discussion, and reflection among indigenous leaders and share updates about how their communities and territories are developing alternative solutions to climate change. It will present proposals to the COP and demand the full participation of indigenous communities.
Today the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) published a compelling ad in the Financial Times‘ special COP supplement. The ad, made possible by an anonymous donor and participation of Amazon Watch and Rainforest Action Network, calls out the worst offenders that finance Amazon destruction – specifically naming BlackRock, Vanguard, JPMorgan Chase, Santander, BNP Paribas, and HSBC – and makes clear that, “the fate of the Amazon is the fate of the world.”
As long as international financial institutions like BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase continue to fuel the environmental and human rights crises in Brazil and throughout the Amazon, we’ll continue to pressure them to use their considerable power to cease financing the problem and instead be part of the solution. Bringing about lasting change requires shifting the actions of the largest drivers of deforestation and the climate movement must unite behind this task.