The UN released the sixth edition of the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 24 April 2025 and focuses on the Climate Crisis and the vital role of Indigenous Peoples in addressing the impacts of climate change.
The report exposes a stark imbalance: while Indigenous Peoples make up just six per cent of the global population, they safeguard 80 per cent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity – yet receive less than one per cent of international climate funding.
The report also offers a sobering assessment of climate action that is not only lacking in urgency, but in fairness. From green energy projects imposed without consent to policy decisions made in rooms where Indigenous voices are absent, these communities are too often excluded from climate solutions, displaced by them, and denied the resources to lead the way.
“Although we are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, Indigenous Peoples are not victims,” writes Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in the report’s foreword.
“We are custodians of the natural world who are committed to maintaining the natural equilibrium of the planet for the generations to come.”
The publication, overseen by the UN, brings together contributions from Indigenous leaders, researchers and the World Health Organization (WHO), combining case studies, data and lived experience from seven distinct regions of the world. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current and emerging issues in the context of the climate crisis from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples. Drawing on illustrative examples from across seven sociocultural regions, the publication highlights both challenges and good practices linked to Indigenous Peoples’ experiences with and responses to the ongoing climate crisis.
Ultimately, the report is intended to serve as an authoritative reference and advocacy tool for Indigenous Peoples and civil society organizations and to contribute to the broader conversation around climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Volume VI, Climate Crisis can be viewed and downloaded here.
This story was originally published in UN News.