Our planet’s vital defenses against climate change and biodiversity loss are being stripped away in real-time. We see it in the smoke-filled  forests of the Amazon in Brazil, the bleaching reefs of Raja Ampat in Indonesia. The life-support systems that provide the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the climate stability we need for our future are under siege.

This is not a distant threat: it is the defining emergency of our present moment.

Where greedy extractive industries like illegal gold and nickel mining see only profit, Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities have life and ancestry. We must stand with the families who are defending their roots and homes with resilience and care. 

These communities have protected forests and oceans for millennia; their rights are the shield that protects life for us all. Standing with themto guarantee their sovereignty is the most powerful act of protection we can take for the planet and future generations.

We demand world leaders move beyond empty promises and immediately recognise the legal territories and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Together we can build a way of life where nature and people thrive together.

As we face the critical reality of climate breakdown, we are witnessing a rush for mineral extraction for the sake of rampant economic growth. The destructive mining industry is killing ancient forests, poisoning life-giving water and bringing violence to those who stand in their way. 

From deep in the Amazon to the shores of Raja Ampat, greedy billionaires see illegal gold and nickel mining as a way to turn a profit, leaving a trail of destruction in biodiverse sanctuaries.

But there is a shield against this senseless greed. Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities have been resisting the plunder of their territories with courage for hundreds of years. 

They show us that a different way of living  centered on balance and a connection with nature – is possible. In a world where greedy billionaires think Earth is theirs to plunder, Indigenous-led defense is one of our greatest hopes for a green, safe and just  future for everyone.

We demand world leaders stop the industrial destruction and recogniseIndigenous Peoples’ territories and rights. We must stand with the guardians of the forest to protect the ecosystems that maintain all life on Earth.