2 April 2012: The UN University (UNU) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) convened a three-day workshop on “Climate Change Mitigation with Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples: Practices, Lessons Learned and Prospects.” Participants examined how mitigation efforts can impact indigenous peoples and local communities, and what barriers exist to their involvement and their capacity to benefit.

The workshop was the second meeting organized in response to the need for information on relevant issues to indigenous peoples and local communities, which will be considered in the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. Several case studies were presented during the meeting, focusing on the application of traditional knowledge and practices to climate change mitigation through carbon reduction and sequestration activities, and opportunities for ecological services.

The workshop provided an overview of the innovatove solutions that indigenous peoples and local communities are involved in, including activities to reduce emissions through fire management, renewable energies in their territories, and resource management projects to reduce pressure on natural resources and enhance local adaptive capacity.

The meeting was held from 26-28 March 2012, in Cairns, Australia, and brought together indigenous experts, climate scientists, representatives of UN agencies and several lead authors of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, which is due for completion in 2014.

UNU and IPCC convened the workshop in collaboration with the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

The first meeting was held in Mexico City in July 2011 and focused on adaptation and vulnerabilities. [UNU Press Release] [Workshop Website]