Guide on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

• What is the second approach?The second approach to reducing the level of GHGs is to attemptto increase the earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide throughreforestation or other more experimental methods such as carboncapture and storage (CCS).Alternative Forms of Energy and Implicationson Indigenous Peoples• No to nukes! - Nuclear power poses special problems for many indigenouspeoples, because nuclear waste is often stored in places far from largeurban centers and areas inhabited by them. Rather than having to tolerateunauthorized intrusions upon their lands, indigenous peoples should have theright to give or withhold prior and informed consent, and they should possessa veto power concerning nuclear waste storage projects on their territories andlands.• Wind and solar energy - Wind energy projects could bring clean energyto the world and a tremendous windfall of economic development to someindigenous communities. It is estimated that the wind energy potentialworldwide is 15 times the world’s energy demands, with much of this energypotential located on their lands. Using solar power to generate electricity wouldseem to be a perfect cultural-economic match for indigenous people seeking toparticipate in climate mitigation.• Biofuels - The growing use of biofuels is more controversial. Of particularconcern is the dramatic shift in agricultural production patterns to meet thedemand for biomass and the fact that the nitrogen fertilizers used to increasebiomass release such potent nitrous oxides that the net effect on GHGemissions is actually worse than if plain diesel were used instead of biofuel.• Large hydroelectric dams - Indigenous peoples are also concerned about themassive increase in the building of large hydroelectric dams, because of thepotential displacement of indigenous peoples from their ancestral territories.8What are the indigenouspeoples’ perspectives on climatechange mitigation?• The best way to mitigate climate change is to change the unsustainableproduction and consumption patterns which is still the prevalent systemdominating this world. The best mitigation measures involve changinglifestyles, individually and collectively, and structurally changing thedevelopment path towards a sustainable and low-carbon one.• The market-based mechanisms are very limited. These just reinforcefurther the inequities which have been created by the unregulatedmarket or the so-called free market instead of addressing the root causesPART III: Climate Change Mitigation Measures: Impacts on Indigenous Peoples 35