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Emerging nature markets, including nature credit markets, offer a promising solution to address biodiversity loss and climate change. Their success depends on equitable design, integrity, and the participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs&LCs). This report highlights the need to respect IPs&LCs’ rights and governance while implementing global biodiversity and climate frameworks, ensuring that both nature and communities benefit from these markets. With a multi-regional assessment across Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, the report identifies key challenges IPs&LCs face in nature-based projects. These include policy and regulatory gaps in land and resource rights, barriers to participation in decision-making, and the exclusion of certain community members into modern policies.

GRI’s work on advancing climate resilience planning in the Caribbean is highlighted in the report as a case study on page 21, showcasing efforts in Dominica and Barbados to integrate local governance structures into climate resilience planning. The report recognizes this initiative as a model for bridging scientific research with community-led decision-making, reinforcing the importance of inclusive governance and direct participation of local communities, their needs, perspectives, and expertise in climate decision-making.

Lastly, the report provides actionable recommendations, including strengthening land tenure security, aligning national policies with global biodiversity protocols, and ensuring inclusive governance structures that involve women, youth, and elders, and that empower IPs&LCs in project governance to reduce reliance on intermediary organizations.