Everland honored to participate in Indigenous events at COP30

At the Indigenous Village, key stakeholders of the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative came together in dialogue shaped by representatives of communities who are considering participating in the initiative.

“At COP30, Indigenous leaders spoke with one voice: the world must stop the destruction of our forests, the exploitation of our peoples, and the erasure of our cultures. This has been our struggle for our rights and justice across generations. We are witnessing a tragedy unfolding. The threats to our forests and our way of life are pushing our peoples to the edge of disappearance – life that cannot be replaced, and once it is gone, it is gone forever,” said Chief Almir Suruí, Chief of the Paiter Suruí People and speaker at the ALDEIA COP event. “No one knows how to protect the forest better than the peoples who have lived with it, defended it, and depended on it since time immemorial. Without us, the forests will not stand. And without the forests, there is no solution to the climate crisis.”

So far, projects representing nearly 90,000 Indigenous and traditional community members across 17 million hectares of pan-Amazonian rainforest have expressed their interest in the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative. For us at Everland, it is a profound honor and a significant responsibility that these communities are considering partnering with us.

This responsibility – and the urgent need for action – was underlined at a second gathering that we hosted one day later in Belém, where more Indigenous leaders met to share their experiences and priorities with other stakeholders of the initiative.

At the Indigenous Village, key stakeholders of the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative came together in dialogue shaped by representatives of communities who are considering participating in the initiative.

“At COP30, Indigenous leaders spoke with one voice: the world must stop the destruction of our forests, the exploitation of our peoples, and the erasure of our cultures. This has been our struggle for our rights and justice across generations. We are witnessing a tragedy unfolding. The threats to our forests and our way of life are pushing our peoples to the edge of disappearance – life that cannot be replaced, and once it is gone, it is gone forever,” said Chief Almir Suruí, Chief of the Paiter Suruí People and speaker at the ALDEIA COP event. “No one knows how to protect the forest better than the peoples who have lived with it, defended it, and depended on it since time immemorial. Without us, the forests will not stand. And without the forests, there is no solution to the climate crisis.”

So far, projects representing nearly 90,000 Indigenous and traditional community members across 17 million hectares of pan-Amazonian rainforest have expressed their interest in the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative. For us at Everland, it is a profound honor and a significant responsibility that these communities are considering partnering with us.

This responsibility – and the urgent need for action – was underlined at a second gathering that we hosted one day later in Belém, where more Indigenous leaders met to share their experiences and priorities with other stakeholders of the initiative.

Everland was represented throughout by our Executive Chairman, Gerald Prolman – who reiterated the purpose and design of the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative, alongside Everland’s commitment to community-led forest conservation.

“We are here for one purpose: to stand with you as we begin a journey of connecting you directly to the resources you need, in the way you have asked for,” Gerald said to the community representatives gathered. “The Blue Zone may be somewhere else in the city, but I’m honored to be here at the real COP of forests – and to witness this gathering of leaders whose peoples have protected the Amazon for generations.”

Overall, it’s been a crucial few weeks for Indigenous-centered forest conservation.

Equitable Earth announced the launch of its new forest conservation methodology, and The Wall Street Journal reported the news that we – Everland – have already secured Letters of Intent totalling $160 million from companies seeking to purchase carbon credits from the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative’s portfolio of projects.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to provide $50 million in upfront capital to launch up to 20 new Indigenous-centered forest conservation projects in the Amazon to be verified by Equitable Earth. The sale of carbon credits from these projects is expected to channel more than $1 billion to the projects over their first ten years, with communities directly receiving the majority of this revenue to invest in their own self-determined goals. For all projects in Brazil, communities will receive at least 70% of carbon credit revenue.