Indigenous Peoples have long played a critical role in global environmental negotiations, and their current and traditional knowledge of environmental changes in their respective territories holds the key to sustainable development. Only by being recognized as decision-makers can Indigenous Peoples help address critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, but critical barriers to participation in multilateral negotiations remain.

Three leading Indigenous experts joined IISD’s Nicole Schabus for a conversation about the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to multilateral environmental negotiations, the impacts of environmental change on their territories and lives, and the important role Indigenous Peoples play in identifying paths to sustainability and implementing transformative action. The experts are Mam Mayan elder Lix Lopez, Neskonlith te Secwepemc Kukpi7 Judy Wilson and Dr. Debra Harry, Paiute.

This podcast is a collaboration between Global Affairs Canada and IISD. It was originally organized as a policy lab which was attended by guests representing both organizations.

Indigenous Peoples and Multilateral Environment Agreements

For decades, gross domestic product (GDP) has been a defining indicator of the strength of countries’ economies. However, GDP only reflects the size of an economy; it does not account for factors that are central to well-being, such as income distribution, gender equality, or environmental health.  
 
As the pace of environmental degradation increases, exacerbating inequality and other economically and socially harmful trends, social scientists are arguing that we need to rethink both our understanding of wealth and the tools we use to measure it. By moving beyond GDP to a more comprehensive understanding of wealth – one that includes, for example, public goods such as clean air and water – we will have a more informed and accurate basis for assessing our current and expected future well-being.  
 
In this podcast, IISD’s Jessica Templeton speaks with experts from around the world who are calling on governments to move beyond GDP as a core measure of economic well-being. Guests include Pali Lehohla (Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, United Kingdom, and former Statistician-General, South Africa), Clara Martinez-Toledano (Imperial College London, United Kingdom), Anne-Marie McGuaran (National Economic and Social Council, Ireland), Hugo Ñopo (IEZ Institute of Labor Economics, Brazil), and Dimitri Zenghelis (Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, United Kingdom). 
 
This podcast is a collaboration between Global Affairs Canada and IISD. 
For more: https://www.iisd.org/projects/measuring-wealth-promote-sustainable-development

Rethinking Wealth: The Case for Moving Beyond GDP

As the world faces a potentially catastrophic food crisis, driven large part by climate change and geopolitical conflict, the researchers behind an innovative project called Ceres2030 are helping global development donors identify effective responses to this crisis, how much they will cost, and how these interventions will affect the rest of a given country’s economy. Combining economic modeling, machine learning, and evidence-based analysis, Ceres2030 aims to build a global road map to end hunger.  
 
Carin Smaller, Jaron Porciello, and Hale Ann Tufan joined IISD’s Jessica Templeton to talk about the aims and insights arising from this project, which is a partnership among Cornell University, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and IISD.   

This podcast is a collaboration between Global Affairs Canada and IISD. For more: https://ceres2030.iisd.org

Ceres2030: Sustainable Solutions to End Hunger

Halfway through UN climate change talks in Azerbaijan, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin team reviews the latest developments, takes questions, and helps you prep for the final week of COP 29.

Earth Negotiations Bulletin climate negotiations expert Jennifer Allan, PhD, discusses:

• which negotiating items progressed in the first week
• where the greatest obstacles have arisen—and why
• what we can expect from week two of the talks

Follow ENB coverage from COP 29 at: https://enb.iisd.org/baku-un-climate-change-conference-cop29

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