Natural ecosystems in Canada – like forests and wetlands – are crucial regulators of global climate. At the same time, climate change is having a profound effect on these ecosystems through impacts such as altered fire and flooding regimes. Meanwhile, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities rely on healthy natural ecosystems for their sustenance, culture, and economic prosperity. Fortunately, the knowledge, decisions, and collective action of communities can have a profoundly positive impact on ecosystem health, allowing them to take a leadership role in protecting their own futures, as well as the planet’s.
Ecotrust Canada’s Climate Resilience program works in deep collaboration with rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to co-develop and implement strategies that safeguard the health of their lands and waters. Guided by community values, Indigenous laws, and ecological knowledge, we co-create innovative land and water management models designed to steward natural ecosystems and improve management in degraded ones. These efforts address climate mitigation and adaptation, encourage economic prosperity, and protect cultural values and biodiversity.
The challenge
Earth’s best “carbon capture and storage” devices are natural ecosystems. Unfortunately, extraction and exploitation have greatly diminished these finite systems at a perilous cost to local communities and global climate stability. Meanwhile, our current short-sighted and exclusionary economic system, underpinned by deeply entrenched government policies, continues to enable the progressive degradation of what is left. Faced with the destruction of their lands and waters, communities find themselves in an impossible bind to maintain the status quo since they, too, find themselves dependent on the revenues from industrial extraction to support employment, health, education, and housing needs.
What is possible?
Rural, remote, and Indigenous communities lead in natural climate solutions in the places they call home, stewarding their lands and waters while bringing about society-wide benefits for the climate and biodiversity.
Over the next five years, our partnerships will prove the possible by:
- Planning – Supporting long-term land and water planning while upholding Indigenous law and governance with our community partners in order to achieve climate and biodiversity goals.
- Economic transition – Enabling a planned transition toward the stewardship of natural forests and better management of secondary forests by creating innovative models that inspire sustainable economic opportunities and draw in long-term funding.
- Adaptation – Improving the ability of communities and nature to adapt to the effects of a changing climate through natural climate solutions.
Why Ecotrust Canada?
Ecotrust Canada has partnered with Indigenous communities for over 20 years to deploy natural climate solutions. In 2008, we completed an ecosystem-based management plan with Squamish Nation, Lil’wat Nation, and Whistler to develop the Cheakamus Community Forest project, a blueprint for improving forest management and strengthening local economies. This work then helped launch a first-of-its-kind natural climate solutions project by issuing carbon credits for sale by First Nations.
Over a decade ago, Ecotrust Canada supported First Nations in Northern Ontario in launching Wahkohtowin Development, a social enterprise owned by First Nations dedicated to creating a conservation economy through sustainable forest management. Major pillars of this effort include developing approaches to climate-friendly forestry and conservation.
Over the last five years, we have provided transparent, open-access materials that offer clarity around carbon offsets and natural climate solutions, including the First Nations Forest Carbon Toolkit, developed in partnership with the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations. In addition, we have helped to secure tens of millions of dollars in funding for Indigenous communities pursuing stronger stewardship in their territories through the Nature Smart Climate Solution Fund.
“By generating sustainable revenue streams and supporting local economic development, these projects can strengthen self-governance and enhance the ability to address vital social, cultural and economic priorities while supporting the global goal of reducing GHG emissions.”
—Terry Teegee, BCAFN Regional Chief
How to support us
If you are an Indigenous community interested in working with us, please reach out.
Consider learning more about climate, natural ecosystems, and local communities by reading our research. See below.
Or, donate directly to our Climate Resilience work at Ecotrust Canada.
Stories
- From Climate Innovation to Resilience, a new path forward
- Conservation in the Boreal homelands of Wahkohtowin First Nations
- Witnessing the Gwininitxw Feast: Through ceremony and discipline, the Gitxsan assert sovereignty over their lands
- How a frog became the logo for the First Nations Carbon Toolkit
- Cheakamus Community Forest Carbon Offset Project
- Forest Carbon Offsets, the benefits and misconceptions
Research
- Advancing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas through Carbon Financing (2023)
- What makes a good carbon offset? Exploring offset project value through the Carbon Offset Evaluation Template (2021)
The team
Michelle Connolly, Director
Rebecca Rogerson, Community Program Manager
Caylin Sun, Program Manager