ICIN is pleased to report that Iningai woman and ICIN Director, Suzanne Thompson has flown to Baku, Azerbaijan to participate in the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP29), November 11th - 22nd.
COP is the annual UN Climate Change Conference and the worlds only multilateral decision-making conference on climate change - bringing together world leaders, representatives, scientists, advocates, and Indigenous peoples to share insights and best practice on climate action.
On November 13th, Suzanne represented her roles as founder and Director of Yambangku Aboriginal Cultural Heritage & Tourism Development Aboriginal Corporation (YACHATDAC) and Director of ICIN on a panel titled "Natural Capital Accounting: Informing the Nature Positive Transition" hosted by Climate Friendly. The session centred on the role of natural capital accounting in achieving a nature-positive and net zero transition.
Fellow panelists included the Hon. Matt Kean (Climate Change Authority, Chair) and Kristy Graham (Australian Sustainable Finance Institute, CEO), and was moderated by Skye Glenday (Climate Friendly, Co-CEO).
Suzanne opened the session by introducing the audience to the benefits of engaging with First Nations peoples to heal Country by showing the video "Caring for Country Challenge to Mobs of all Nations". The video, which depicts mob cleaning out a watering hole and the positive impact it has on biodiversity and local culture, enabled the panelists to discuss the importance of investing in Indigenous-led land management. It was noted that the level investment going into Indigenous communities, currently, is disproportionate to the coverage of Australia's land mass of which First Nations peoples have been ongoing care takers and custodians of for over 60,000 years.
"Everything we do as First Nations people is decarbonisation... For us, being the oldest continual practicing culture on the planet, it speaks volumes about the knowledge we have to share," said Suzanne Thompson from COP29.
When asked about how natural capital can be accounted for across Indigenous Countries, Suzanne stressed that all things must be observed in relation to each other - she noted that the division of environmental policy by state and territory boarders sits in opposition to how Indigenous peoples think about land management and the interconnection of Countries.
"When we are looking out and thinking about what is happening to our Country, and the complexity of language that we put into it - it is simply about caring for Country and each other, and the two have to come together. That is our future," said Suzanne Thompson from COP29.
The session rounded out with a discussion on the importance of carbon credits in moving Australia towards net zero. Carbon projects, like the one managed by Suzanne on her Country and by other ICIN members all across Australia, are a vital tool in managing emissions levels and also in funding Indigenous organisations to care for Country. Carbon markets should not be used by industries where the technology exists for emissions reduction but instead are invaluable to industries where sustainable technologies for a just transition are yet to be developed.
Such an important conversation to have platformed on the world stage!
You can watch the full panel session here
