ICA Releases Latest Report in the DCP Series: “Land Back is Climate Policy”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05 June 2025
The latest report in the Decolonizing Climate Policy series centres indigenous youth voices and transformative, land-based solutions.
Turtle Island — Indigenous Climate Action (ICA), a national Indigenous-led climate justice organization, has officially released the latest report from its ongoing Decolonizing Climate Policy Project during a virtual event held on June 5, 2025.
The report, titled Land Back is Climate Policy Phase 2 of Part 2 of ICA’s Decolonizing Climate Policy Project emphasizes that Indigenous ways of knowing and being are powerful climate solutions. It offers a transformative vision that centres Indigenous leadership, holding responsibilities to land, water and all relations as the foundation of climate policy.
“This release marks a significant milestone in ICA’s ongoing work to expose the limitations of existing Canadian climate policy, " shared Jayce Chiblow, ICA’s Director of Education and Programming. “This work continues to uplift Indigenous-led climate frameworks rooted in self-determination, land stewardship, and cultural reclamation.”
ICA’s Decolonizing Climate Policy research project aims to investigate the shortcomings and problems associated with Canadian climate policy while at the same time supporting, and developing Indigenous-led climate policy – climate policies by and for Indigenous Peoples that will rise up and empower Indigenous-led solutions.
Phase 1 of the project focused on identifying these shortcomings and laying the groundwork for change. Phase 2 shifts to envisioning and advancing Indigenous-led climate policy. This second release from Phase 2 builds on the insights of Part 1, offering a clearer vision of what Indigenous-led climate policies can and should look like in practice – empowering communities and reshaping climate governance from the ground up.
Key messages from the report include:
Indigenous Leadership and Knowledge. Indigenous peoples have long advocated from transformative, grassrooted approaches to climate policy. Traditional Indigenous knowledge holds key solutions to climate crises. The next generation, our youth, are critical leaders and visionaries in reclaiming climate governance.
Youth-Centered Vision. Youth emphasized restoring relationships with land and water are important to effective climate action. Their perspectives highlight the need for education and governance grounded in ceremony, language and relational laws. They also call for policy to be inclusive, consent-based and community-driven.
Decolonizing Climate Policy. Current policy systems work against Indigenous rights and well-being. Indigenous climate policy should be grounded in: Self-determination and sovereignty; Place-based and nation-specific approaches; Collective responsibility and care; And consent over consultation.
Institutional Transformation. Calls to: Centre the leadership of Indigenous peoples, youth and communities of colour; Redistribute power, wealth and land; Decentralize governance and build community empowerment; Fight for Land Back as an element for climate policy.
Six Pathways for Restoring Balance.
I.) Centre Indigenous ways of knowing and being;
II.) Respect Indigenous self-determination, sovereignty and consent;
III.) Redistribute power, wealth and land;
IV.) Decentralize climate governance;
V.) Build intersectional, international movements;
VI.) Ensure accountability and reparations.Indigenous Solutions Already Exist. Indigenous communities are already implementing climate solutions in 10 key areas (e.g., food sovereignty, energy, water, legal transformation). The main barrier is the lack of space, time and funding.
“Indigenous-led solutions do not excuse settlers and allies of their responsibility to act,” stated Alexa Metallic, ICA’s Research & Policy Coordinator. “One of the report’s boldest declarations affirms that ‘Land Back is Climate is Policy’ – a powerful call to action for climate policy that is grounded in Indigenous laws, languages and reciprocal relationships with land and water.”
Calls to Action
Stop supporting colonial policies and false solutions;
Demand governments and uphold Indigenous rights and titles;
Actively support Indigenous-led climate action;
Land must be returned to enable these solutions – Land Back is climate policy.
The report launch event featured a deep discussion on these findings and created space for dialogue on the future of indigenous-led justice in so-called Canada and beyond.
To read the full report, visit our website at: https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/s/DCP-Phase-2-Part-2.pdf
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica Christmas, Indigenous Climate Action
Media@indigenousclimateaction.com
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Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) is the only Indigenous-led climate justice organization in so-called Canada. Guided by a diverse group of Indigenous knowledge keepers, water protectors and land defenders from communities and regions across the country, we believe that Indigenous Peoples’ rights and knowledge systems are critical to developing solutions to the climate crisis and achieving climate justice. We model our work and organizational structure on systems of free, prior and informed consent and self-determination. By providing communities with knowledge and resources, we can inspire a new generation of Indigenous climate leaders building solutions centered around our inherent rights and cultures.
