On September 27th and 28th, we participated in the 5th Climate Summit of Colombia and Latin America, hosted in Cali, Colombia and organized by the Colombian Association of Carbon Market Actors – ASOCARBONO.
Over 400 stakeholders from the carbon markets, including indigenous, afro-descendant, and rural communities, as well as representatives from the national government, the private sector, and the media, came together to explore the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of carbon markets.
Two Matavén indigenous leaders represented REDD+ Matavén on the panel discussion “The Voice of Communities in Carbon Markets.” Alejandro Camacho and Luis Manuel Caribán shared with the audience the positive transformations brought about by REDD+ Matavén, the engagement and active participation of the local communities through the Association of Councils and Traditional Authorities of the Matavén Rainforest – ACATISEMA, as well as the challenges they have faced during over 10 years of project implementation.
They, along with representatives from diverse communities, signed a public declaration in which they reiterated that carbon markets are crucial to tackle climate change, fulfill their own life plans and strengthen their governance. They highlighted how Nature-Based Solutions projects have created major positive impacts on communities and industries and, for the very first time, have allowed communities to have a central role in decision-making to contribute to the fight against climate change. They also issued a call for various actions to counteract the market slowdown, which is primarily affecting the beneficiary communities of the projects by reducing available resources.