When organizers of this year's international climate conference adopted ‘mutirao' — a Portuguese word of Indigenous origin meaning ‘collective effort' — as the event's official slogan, they were reinforcing a message first conveyed by the choice of location for COP30.

The Amazonian city of Belem was selected for the talks to showcase the role of the region's 1.7 million Indigenous peoples as skilled stewards of the world's largest rainforest.

These gestures are a departure for talks in which Indigenous communities — who safeguard much of the world's biodiversity — have long felt unheard. But whether they will translate into meaningful action remains to be seen. 

What are Indigenous communities asking for? 

The more than 5,000 distinct groups of Indigenous peoples living across 90 countries represent just 6% of the global population but are vital to protecting nature and climate.

As guardians of their lands, one of their main demands is a greater say in how that land is managed. Many of their territories face encroachment from oil and gas drilling, mining, and logging.

"We want to reach a consensus where Indigenous territories are no longer sacrificed," said Lucia Ixchiu, an Indigenous K'iche from Guatemala, who sailed through the Amazon for weeks to bring that message to world leaders. 

For many communities, land rights are an ongoing issue. Though legal recognition of an estimated 100 million hectares (247 million acres) was granted to Indigenous, Afro-descendant and other local communities between 2015 and 2020 worldwide, claims to a further 1.4 billion hectares are yet to be resolved. 

"We hope that COP30 will strengthen the international commitment to the demarcation and protection of Indigenous territories, recognizing them as fundamental areas for conservation and climate balance," said Alcebias Sapara, a leading member of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations in the Brazilian Amazon.

Sapara said they would also push for direct funding mechanisms for Indigenous-led initiatives — so they could manage their territories autonomously and sustainably — and for traditional knowledge to be integrated into climate policies. 

Christine Halvorson, program director at the Rainforest Foundation US, said they also want to make sure that any green energy projects that could impact Indigenous lands and livelihoods happen only after those communities are consulted and give their consent.

Halvorson added Indigenous peoples are also requesting greater protection, as many face threats and violence for defending their land. In 2024, around a third of the environmental defenders disappeared or killed internationally were Indigenous. 

Can they help protect the climate? 

"Without Indigenous peoples... there is no future for humanity," Sonia Guajajara, Brazil's Minister of Indigenous Peoples, told AFP. She highlighted how they ensure clean water, and protect biodiversity where they live. 

Indigenous communities are widely seen as the world's best forest guardians. They manage around a quarter of the world's land and up to half of the remaining intact forests. 

Besides being rich in biodiversity, the world's forests are vital carbon sinks, storing an estimated 861 gigatons of carbon — roughly equal to 100 years of fossil fuel emissions. 

Intact forests have in the past absorbed around a fifth of emissions, but they are increasingly under threat from human activity and climate change. Last year wildfires led to an 80% increase in tropical forest deforestation. 

There is growing body of credible research supporting the argument that granting land rights to Indigenous peoples has a key role in tackling climate change.

"The evidence is clear: Where Indigenous territorial rights are respected, deforestation declines; where they are denied, destruction advances," said Guajajara, in a written statement ahead of COP. 

Granting communities the power to prevent development projects like oil drilling and mining on their land has also been found to be a cost-effective way to protect nature. 

Ensuring land rights for Indigenous peoples in the Brazilian Amazon could decrease deforestation by 66%, according to one 2023 study. Another estimated emissions would be 45% higher in the Amazon without Indigenous protected land. 

What might Indigenous communities achieve at COP30? 

There were some wins already ahead of COP30's official opening. 

This included dozens of countries pledging to formally recognize land rights by 2030 across 80 million hectares where Indigenous, Afro-descendant and other communities live. The move has been cautiously welcomed by Indigenous leaders, who warned implementing land rights in practice can be challenging.

The launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a proposed $125-billion (€108 billion) global conservation fund that would pay countries based on how well they protect their forests, also pledged to give 20% of funds to Indigenous peoples. 

While this is a significant step forward, to be truly effective Halvorson says the TFFF must guarantee Indigenous peoples have direct and equitable access to the resources they need. 

She said if commitments in Belem on land demarcation, direct funding and global recognition of territorial rights are fulfilled, "COP30 could become a landmark for climate justice." 

Is COP30 really paying attention to Indigenous communities?

Minister Guajajara told DW that this year marks the highest Indigenous participation in COP history and their most significant presence in decision-making spaces. Still, only have fraction have access to the restricted negotiation areas.

"Having credentials to enter the venue does not guarantee that the voices and views of Indigenous delegates from Brazil will be heard," said the Indigenous Climate Action organization.

While COP30 has shown progress in the visibility of Indigenous peoples' concerns, so far "it is still not enough compared to what we expect," said Alcebias Sapara. 

Indigenous protestors twice interrupted the Belem climate talks this week, trying to have their voices heard. Leaders of the Munduruku Indigenous group, who led a demonstration on Friday, presented a series of demands to Brazil, including a rejection of deforestation carbon credits. Carbon credits have come under scrutiny for failing to deliver promised emissions cuts. 

Some feel "the Brazilian government is not hearing their demands and not including their voices, even though they call this the 'Indigenous COP'," said Indigenous Climate Action in a statement. 

But with global emissions and temperatures still rising, the concept of mutirao could help with a needed shift toward real implementation of climate action on the ground, says Hayley Walker, associate professor of international negotiation at IESEG School of Management in France. 

"If it catches on, the call for mutirao could be an important gift from Brazil's Indigenous peoples to the rest of the world that has the potential to move us significantly closer to where we need to be in addressing climate change," said Walker.

Edited by: Tamsin Walker