Wisdom Keepers Delegate Reflections: COP29
It is deeply troubling that leaders from major polluting nations have been absent from COP29, while the fossil fuel lobby has surged to become the fourth-largest delegation, with over 1,700 lobbyists in attendance in Baku. We cannot afford to wait for global political leaders to take decisive climate action and dismantle extractive, petro-masculine systems. The responsibility falls to grassroots movements, Indigenous leaders, and youth communities to push beyond Net Zero—towards Real Zero—and to hold the world accountable for ending the fossil fuel era.
The fight against climate change cannot be won by any single generation. It demands the wisdom of elders, who carry profound ancestral knowledge, combined with the skills and energy of young people advocating for systemic change through matriarchal leadership. As the ocean is humanity’s evolutionary cradle and the planet’s largest carbon sink, it is imperative to integrate ocean-based climate solutions into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on a much larger scale.
The ocean, Indigenous stewards, and young innovators represent our planet’s greatest hope. Strengthening financial mechanisms to support these undervalued yet impactful planetary guardians is essential. Investing in Indigenous-led ocean solutions offers a unique opportunity to build a resilient, nature-based economy. However, this investment is urgently needed and was a glaringly missed opportunity at COP29, which was branded as the “Climate Finance COP.”
It is vital for nations in the Global North to support the climate-nature-ocean nexus by funding initiatives that scale Indigenous solutions, scientific research, and technologies in the Global South. The current status quo—marked by a lack of financial accountability—is completely unacceptable to younger generations, frontline communities, and countries already suffering the devastating effects of the climate crisis.
To meet the challenges ahead, we need intergenerational collaboration, equitable ocean-climate finance mechanisms, and robust support for Indigenous stewardship, which has proven to deliver outsized nature-positive benefits. These actions are critical as we approach COP30 in the heart of the Amazon.
We must prioritize strengthening the ocean-climate nexus and ensure that young people, Indigenous leaders, and local communities actively co-create the future of a regenerative blue economy alongside the COP30 presidency in Brazil.