Research demonstrates disparity in Native environmental stewardship
Less than 1% of all development funding supports Indigenous communities
Native people around the globe care for immense amounts of sensitive, biodiverse habitat. Many of these areas store carbon that won’t be able to be remediated once it’s emitted into the atmosphere. Despite protecting these critical resources, Native communities and organizations receive a sliver of all global development funding for local capacity and climate resilience.
According to the World Economic Forum, just 0.82% of development investment worldwide went to Indigenous people in 2023. And a mere 0.04% gave Indigenous organizations the chance to determine how funds were spent.
Industries that take advantage of natural resources — mining, agriculture and timber — receive trillions every year in funding for industrial transitions aimed at combatting climate change. From 2024 to 2025, funding for clean energy efforts in these industries jumped 8%.
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