The Mongabay Newscast traveled to Climate Week in New York City in September to document the perspectives of conservation NGOs, activists and policymakers hailing from Asia to African and the Amazon. On this episode, we share an array of views on the myriad topics discussed there, like improving conservation finance, an effort to popularize a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty,” and Indigenous conservation for the climate.
Mongabay spoke with Luisa Castaneda from the NGO Land Is Life about improving funding for Indigenous communities via the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Forest Tenure pledge to be discussed at the next U.N. climate summit, COP30, in Brazil. Since the pledge’s inception in 2021, commitments have fallen woefully short of directing support to the people it was created to assist.
Sam Shaba, the CEO of Honeyguide, spoke with us about their implementation of community-protected areas in Tanzania, and shared his thoughts on more effective philanthropy and mindset shifts needed to improve financing for the conservation NGO sector. Then Tzeporah Berman, chair of the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, spoke about its mechanisms that could enforce, facilitate and incentivize nations to phase out fossil fuels: 14 countries and many Indigenous communities endorse this agreement, including the Waorani Indigenous Nation, whose Juan Bay spoke of their support during a related event in another clip shared on this episode.
Other individuals’ voices featured on this podcast include Mohamed Nasheed, former president of the Maldives; Paul Chet Greene, a member of the Antigua and Barbuda House of Representatives; Maria Neira, director of the Department of Public Health and Environment at the World Health Organization; Susana Muhamad, minister of environment and sustainable development of Colombia; Allison Begalman, co-founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit; and Amitabh Behar, executive director of Oxfam International.
View more of Mongabay’s coverage of climate change issues and trends here.
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Banner image: Members of the Holes in the Wall Collective host the event “Restoring the Future of Food and Land: A Ferry Talk and Tour” during Climate Week 2024 in New York City, NY.
Mike DiGirolamo is a host & associate producer for Mongabay based in Sydney. He co-hosts and edits the Mongabay Newscast. Find him on LinkedIn, Bluesky and Instagram.
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