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Indigenous leaders hailed a major breakthrough in a new global biodiversity pact adopted early Monday morning in Montreal, as the headline target of protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030 includes an explicit recognition of Indigenous land rights.

To discuss the importance of the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference, ongoing at time of recording, Undispatch spoke to John Reid, co-author of Ever Green: Saving Big Forests to Save the Planet (co-authored with the late Thomas Lovejoy), and the senior economist and partnership lead at the non-profit Nia Tero. They discuss the recent history of global efforts to protect biodiversity and its link to climate change, as well as the key issues at play at COP 15 in Montreal.

At the UN Biodiversity Summit, Indigenous peoples demand respect for their rights and funding to continue conserving vital ecosystems for planetary health.

As nearly 200 countries struggle to negotiate a new plan for nature conservation at the United Nations’ Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, known as COP15, Indigenous-led guardian programs in Canada may offer tangible successes in protecting crucial lands and waterways.

At COP15, Jennifer Tauli Corpuz (Kankana-ey Igorot) and Stanley Kimaren Ole Riamit (Maasai) share: “In the UN negotiations, Indigenous Peoples are not just stakeholders. Instead, we are rights holders. There has been ample conversation about how the tropical forests and peatlands present both climate and biodiversity solutions. These are our lands that contain these carbon sinks and are teeming with life.”

At the UN biodiversity conference, Indigenous leaders fight to be included in 30x30 talks.