What does a just transition look like for Indigenous Peoples?

Written on 04 July 2025.

BY GALINA ANGAROVA AND YBLIN ROMÁN ESCOBAR FOR INDIGENOUS DEBATES

At the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai, the world’s governments declared the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era, a symbolic milestone framed as a global turning point. But for Indigenous Peoples, that phrase invites a deeper question: Is this the beginning of the end of the extractive model that has long targeted their territories, or the beginning of a new and intensified pressure on the ecosystems and cultures they have safeguarded?

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Nickel for Electric Vehicles threatens key forests and the last nomadic tribes in Indonesia

Written on 22 June 2025.

BY GARRY LOTULUNG FOR INDIGENOUS DEBATES

The rapid exploitation of Indonesia's renewable energy resources raises significant concerns. The Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park has become the epicenter of nickel extraction, a mineral deemed essential by electric vehicle manufacturers. On Halmahera Island, Indigenous communities in the northern and central peninsulas are increasingly being displaced from their homes due to deforestation caused by nickel mining. This activity also threatens the daily lives and water sources of people living near the industrial area.

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IWGIA is looking for a diligent Admin and Accounts Assistant (30-hour position)

Written on 26 June 2025.

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity where you can combine your administrative skills with finance tasks in a dynamic and meaningful work environment? Do you thrive in an international environment where your work contributes to a global human rights cause? Are you comfortable speaking and writing in Spanish? And do you know your way around Excel? Then this might be the role for you.

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Redefining Green: Outcomes and Reflections from the Summit on Indigenous Rights and the Green Economy

Written on 20 June 2025.

By Rodion Sulyandziga for Debates Indígenas

On October 8-10, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, Indigenous delegations from all seven socio-cultural regions came together to address a fundamental question: How do we ensure the green economy does not become yet another chapter of exploitation but instead a turning point for justice? The summit went beyond voicing concerns—it focused on action, strategy and collective power. Indigenous leaders, activists and allies worked to shape a vision for a just transition that recognizes Indigenous rights, ensures meaningful participation, and confronts the economic structures driving land dispossession and resource extraction. This article presents the key outcomes of the Just Transition and Indigenous Peoples Summit—what was achieved, what remains ahead, and why this moment marks a critical shift in the global conversation.

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