Climate Money Well Spent in Indigenous Hands

In Brazil, Indigenous-led funds are increasingly directing climate and nature finance themselves, ensuring money reaches local priorities and supports livelihoods alongside forest protection.

“This is about strengthening what communities are already doing, not imposing outside agendas,” said Rose Meire Apurinã, deputy director of the Podáali fund.

Launched in 2019, Podáali is the first Amazon fund fully governed by Indigenous organisations and has already supported 77 initiatives with grants of up to 50,000 reais, funding projects from forest monitoring to cultural enterprises. Globally, investments managed directly by Indigenous and local communities rose 38% between 2021 and 2024 to $2.22 billion, yet still represent a small share of overall climate finance. By creating their own funds with simpler processes and local decision-making, Indigenous groups aim to scale impact, reduce bureaucracy, and ensure nature protection goes hand in hand with community resilience.