Brazil's Indigenous groups: We weren’t consulted on carbon credits

Indigenous groups in Brazil have voiced concerns over being excluded from discussions on carbon credit initiatives, which could impact their lands and communities. They claim the government failed to consult them about these environmental policies, raising issues about their lack of representation in decisions that affect their resources and livelihoods. The groups are calling for proper involvement in the carbon credit process.

Indigenous organizations in Para, Brazil, stated they were not consulted by the government before it signed an agreement with multinational companies to sell carbon offset credits aimed at conserving the Amazon rainforest in the region.

Amazon.com Inc and other firms agreed in September to purchase $180 million worth of carbon credits through the LEAF Coalition, a conservation initiative established in 2021 by several companies and governments, including the U.S. and U.K.

Para Governor Helder Barbalho claimed Indigenous and traditional communities participated in the deal.

However, 38 Indigenous and community organizations from Para issued a public letter on Tuesday, denouncing the governor’s failure to consult them.

"It is unacceptable for Para's government to make decisions without consulting traditional communities, who are the forest’s greatest protectors and are most impacted by inadequate climate adaptation policies," they stated.

"Forest peoples must be consulted. Our territories are not for sale," the letter added.

Alessandra Korap Munduruku, a tribal leader and principal author of the letter, expressed concerns about U.S. companies like Amazon and Walmart being involved in the carbon credit purchase.

"Our priority is removing invaders from our reservation lands threatened by miners and a grain railway," she told Reuters. "Our leaders were never consulted on carbon credits. We are being sold like commodities."

The governor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Korap Munduruku, an Indigenous teacher turned community leader, won the 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize for persuading mining companies to leave Munduruku lands.

The deal is LEAF’s first in the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, crucial for curbing climate change due to its vast carbon absorption capacity.

The agreement involves purchasing up to 12 million tons of carbon credits generated by reducing deforestation in Para between 2023 and 2026. It was announced on Sept. 24 during New York Climate Week.

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Source: Reuters‍