When Indigenous groups converged at the entrance of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) summit in Belém, Brazil, halting the flow of delegates, it became clear that this was not just a brief interruption.

It was a stark reminder that the global climate agenda cannot progress without addressing the political and ecological struggles endured by frontline communities already living through climate shocks. Their calls for secure territories, an end to destructive extraction, forest protection and a fair energy transition underscored a truth often missing from scientific briefings and diplomatic statements: The climate crisis being rooted not only in emissions, but in long-standing injustices over land, decision-making power and resource control.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/from-cop30-to-sri-lanka-indigenous-voices-shape-climate-food-sovereignty/

Photo credits: Hemantha Withanage