Aboriginal Carbon Foundation

We would like to congratulate the Fijian Government and acknowledge the work of First Nations (Fiji) Resource Foundation in their contributions to the National Carbon Market Strategy Roadmap. I think it is fair to say that COP29 in Baku was a disappointment for a lot of people, however this roadmap is a positive step forward in the South Pacific region. The gradual, but determined, shift away from almost complete reliance on international carbon companies to greater domestic governance and priorities is a very positive step in the right direction. We have been working with First Nations Fiji for over a year now to help develop their carbon industry. The leadership shown by Fiji is also important for other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in effectively engaging in the carbon industry to generate core benefits to local communities. A few, amongst many, positive strategies and goals are; - Support the growth of new and emerging ‘home-grown’ methodologies that closely align with Fiji’s national priorities, contextual circumstances and development objectives and draw on a solid understanding of localised needs and capacity.   - Collaborate with regional organisations to explore the establishment of a shared platform for project information, learning materials, and expert contacts. This platform will act as a regional knowledge-sharing hub that streamlines market information and facilitates peer-to-peer capacity building in the region. - High-integrity carbon markets, underpinned by robust monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) processes, could offer advantages beyond climate finance and technology transfer. In voluntary and compliance markets, carbon credits validated to provide co-benefits and contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs) are commanding premium prices and are in growing demand by companies seeking broader impacts beyond carbon reductions. For example, in Australia’s voluntary carbon market, Indigenous-led savanna burning. We look forward to achieving similar positive outcomes throughout the Indo-Pacific region, share insights from Indigenous-led carbon projects in Australia and happy to collaborate on how we are achieving successful policy outcomes. #DFAT #CMI #Fiji #Climate #Indigenous #DCCEEW #Carbon

Each morning at COP29 Azerbaijan we have joined the global Indigenous community adding our voices to vital discussions through the Indigenous Peoples Caucus Meeting. As guardians of land, waters, and skies, First Nations peoples have always understood that our survival is tied to the health of Country. The statement delivered by Daria Egereva at the High-Level Segment reflects truths we have lived for millennia: Caring for Country means caring for all. 🖤💛❤️ Our ancient knowledge systems, passed down through generations, are not relics of the past—they are essential tools for the future. These systems, rooted in balance and respect for nature, guide us in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change. We echo the call for: ✔️ Commitments to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior, and informed consent. ✔️ Climate finance that empowers our communities, ensuring direct and equitable access without compromising autonomy. ✔️ The inclusion of our voices and knowledge in adaptation and decision-making—not as participants, but as central partners. ✔️ A collective recommitment to the 1.5°C target, transitioning to sustainable systems built on justice, equity, and respect. First Nations people have always been stewards of the environment. Today, we ask the world to stand with us, recognizing that the wisdom of the oldest living cultures holds the keys to a sustainable future. 💬 Let’s continue this vital dialogue at #COP29 and beyond. Together, we can protect Country and ensure a thriving planet for generations to come. #AboriginalCarbonFoundation #CaringForCountry #IndigenousKnowledge #ClimateAction #UNDRIP #Sustainability #FirstNationsLeadership

🌏✨ The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation at COP29 ✨🌏 This week, the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation is proud to bring the voices of Australia’s First Nations peoples to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. We join global leaders, Indigenous knowledge holders, and innovators to discuss the future of our planet. The wisdom of First Nations peoples, honed over tens of thousands of years, holds the answers to healing our lands waters. Together, we reflect on:  🔸 Sustainability grounded in lore and connection to Country. 🔸 The global exchange of Indigenous knowledge to create resilient ecosystems. 🔸 The urgent need to embed First Nations-led practices in global climate action. We also heard some compelling arguments from First Nations Australians including our Chairperson Phil Duncan, who along with Prof Bradley Moggridge addressed an audience at the Australia Pavillion on the Principles and Practices for Indigenous Engagement in Water Management. Young Indigenous leaders also took to the stage in the Moana Pacific pavilion to speak on their experience on the challenges and wins they face in fighting for Indigenous rights and connecting with our Pacifika brothers and sisters. This is more than just a meeting; it’s a call to action. By standing together, learning from one another, and amplifying the deep connection First Nations peoples have with the environment, we can reimagine a future that sustains all life. 💬 Let’s work as one global community, led by the custodians of the world’s oldest living cultures, to heal our shared home. #COP29 #AboriginalCarbonFoundation #FirstNationsLeadership #Sustainability #ClimateAction #GlobalCollaboration

🌿 Welcoming Jayde Geia to the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation Board 🌿 We are thrilled to welcome Jayde Geia to our Board of Directors! Jayde is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman, with strong family connections to the Bwgcolman, Gunggandji, and Mualgal communities. A passionate advocate for social justice and community empowerment, Jayde brings a wealth of expertise as a qualified lawyer and consultant. With a distinguished career spanning roles as a Judge’s Associate, solicitor, in-house legal counsel, and manager at Ernst & Young, Jayde’s leadership and commitment to advancing First Nations voices across industries is truly inspiring. Notably, Jayde is a Griffith University Law alumna, where she and her mother share a legacy as law graduates. Join us in warmly welcoming Jayde Geia as she joins us on this journey to create sustainable futures and empower First Nations leadership! 

🌿 The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation acknowledge and celebrate the invaluable contributions of John Clark, who has recently stepped down from his role as a Board Member after several years. Hailing from Kowanyama, John brings the strength of both his Kokoberra heritage on his father’s side and Ewamain heritage on his mother’s side. John not only contributed his vast cultural knowledge and experience to his position on the Board, but has made a remarkable impact as Manager of the Kowanyama Aboriginal Land and Natural Resource Management Office. His dedication to land, culture, and community has been an inspiration, and his insights have greatly enriched our work here at AbCF. We are deeply grateful for his leadership, passion, and guidance. Thank you, John, for everything you’ve done and continue to do for Country, community, and culture. Wishing you every success in your next steps. 🌱💚

🌟 Congratulations to Prof. Phil Duncan - New Chair of the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation Board🌟 We're thrilled to welcome Professor Phil Duncan, a respected member of the Gomeroi Nation from Moree, NSW, as our new Board Chair! Prof. Duncan will be the AbCF third chair since we were established in 2010. With over 40 years of dedicated work alongside Aboriginal communities and government, Phil has tirelessly advanced recognition of our rich cultural heritage, the return of lands, and the well-being of our people. His impactful contributions span from education and reconciliation action to natural resource management, water rights, and beyond. Phil’s passion for two-way knowledge exchange and amplifying Traditional Owners' voices is evident in his work to merge Cultural Science with Western frameworks. We look forward to Phil's strategic vision and commitment as we continue to grow partnerships that honor and empower Aboriginal people and communities. Phil attended COP27 previously and will also be at forthcoming COP29 in Azerbaijan. Join us in congratulating Phil on this new journey! 👏 #AboriginalCarbonFoundation #Leadership #TraditionalOwners #CulturalScience #IndigenousKnowledge #Partnerships #CMI 

🌍 We’re incredibly proud of the work that our small, but mighty team do on the ground, both in this country and globally. We’re excited to share with you Lisa McMurray’s recent journey attending COP16 in Colombia through the Atlantic Fellows for Social & Economic Equity (AFSEE). 🌱This journey marks a transformative step, as Atlantic Fellows hosted their first convening in Bogotá with local partner organiations, driving bold, Global South-led climate justice discussions. 🌍 At the heart of this convening is a deep focus on climate justice beyond the traditional paradigms of the Global North. While these nations have historically driven emissions and benefited, their solutions often commodify nature and bypass the voices that matter most—those who live in harmony with the land, understand its delicate balance, and hold invaluable community-based knowledge. 🌿🌎 Lisa joins with other Fellows to elevate powerful, alternative narratives for a truly just transition—one that embraces interconnectedness, the need for activism at multiple levels, and the crucial voices of communities who feel the climate crisis most acutely. Their discussions and presentations at COP16 in Cali shine a light on Global South solutions that honor the planet’s health and the resilience of its people. 🌏 Watch this inspiring short film on their journey to COP16 and see how Lisa and her fellow changemakers are advancing climate justice! 🎥 #AboriginalCarbonFoundation #COP16 #AtlanticFellows #ClimateJustice #JustTransition #Indigenous #Leaders #Global #FirstNations

🌿 Tribute to Our Outgoing Chairman, Barry J Hunter 🌿 With deep gratitude and respect, we say farewell to Barry J Hunter as he steps down from his role as Chairman of the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation Board of Directors. Barry’s leadership, grounded in wisdom, culture, and vision, has been an unwavering force behind our journey. Through his dedication, we have grown not just as an organisation but as a movement — one that celebrates the healing of land, waters, and people. Your guidance, Barry, has empowered communities and inspired us to weave traditional knowledge with modern innovation. Under your stewardship, the Foundation’s work has flourished, shaping a future where sustainable practices and cultural integrity walk hand in hand. From all of us at the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation, the communities across the country in which you have had an indelible impact, and your fellow Board of Directors, we want to thank you for your tireless efforts and for being a beacon of strength and inspiration. We look forward to honouring your legacy as we continue this important journey, knowing that your cheeky spirit and wisdom will always be with us. We wish you every success and joy in your next chapter and we look forward to our continued friendship and ongoing connection with you as we work together to strive for a better future for First Nations peoples. ✨ #FirstNations #Leadership #CulturalWisdom #Gratitude 

Here’s a sobering fact: there is no country that currently invests more in #nature than it spends in destroying it (Global Environment Facility). No suprises then that transformational finance has been a big focus at #COP16, particularly, where should finance come from and where should it go? #Indigenous people, globally, care for 80% of the world’s remaining #biodiversity. It would seem obvious then, who should receive the lion’s share of that finance. Yesterday in the Nature and Culture Summit, time and time again Indigenous people from all over the world, stressed how critical Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing are in leading #climatesolutions and #naturerepair. And this means transformational funding, “not peanuts” to quote Hindou Oumarou, President of #UNPFII. I keep thinking of the Equadorian elder who said he feels like he’s on a boat but the people steering the boat (the Global North) are drunk and incapable of navigating. And Joseph Itongwa from the DRC asked “If we continue to hurt planet earth we hurt oursleves, but nature will save itself, but will we be around to see it?” Aboriginal Carbon Foundation

Two weeks on from the inaugural Global Nature Positive Summit 2024, we are reflecting on all of the exciting global connections that were made during our time on Gadigal country. We had the privilege of speaking on biodiversity markets and welcoming our Fijian partners to join us on this global stage. It’s critical that First Nations are at the forefront of this movement, leading the way to ensure both core benefits for communities and strong biodiversity outcomes are achieved. 🌱 The standard eco-colonial models must evolve. Through strengths-based approaches, we can unlock solutions that empower all landowners—regardless of race—to contribute to and benefit from this essential work. First Nations Australians and First Nations peoples of the world hold the key to this critical work. The time is now to step into our rightful place as the custodians of country and share our learnings and have an equal seat at the table where the decisions are being made. Watch this wrap of the summit here, featuring Fiji’s esteemed Dr Akanisi Kedrayate and our own deadly Barry Hunter offering insights into the way forward.   #IndigenousLeadership #BiodiversityMarkets #StrengthsBasedApproach #GlobalCollaboration #FirstNations #Sustainability #NaturePositive #CareforCountry