Empowering First Nations Leadership to Meet Canada’s Conservation Goals

By: Eddy Adra, CEO at Coast Funds

Canada has committed to conserving 30% of its lands and waters by 2030, emphasizing Indigenous leadership in conservation. However, First Nations face funding gaps hindering their stewardship efforts. Eddy Adra, CEO at Coast Funds, discusses how collaborative funding models are essential for meeting conservation targets and supporting Indigenous-led initiatives.

At COP 15 in Montréal, Canada committed to an ambitious target: conserving 30% of its lands and waters by 2030, a goal aligned with global efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. This 30×30 target is not just a political commitment but a crucial step toward building a resilient and sustainable future for all Canadians. Central to achieving this goal is the acknowledgment and support of First Nations who have stewarded and cared for these lands since time immemorial. Their traditional ecological knowledge and deep connection to the land position them as the most effective leaders in conservation.

“This 30×30 target is not just a political commitment but a crucial step toward building a resilient and sustainable future for all Canadians”

-Eddy Adra

Despite their pivotal role, First Nations communities face a significant obstacle—a lack of funding and capital necessary to support conservation efforts, both now and in the long term. For Canada to meet its 30×30 targets, Canadian philanthropy, Crown governments, and the private sector must come together and find innovative solutions to partner with and support First Nations leadership in protecting, conserving, and stewarding these territories.

Funding Gap for First Nations Conservation Initiatives

Indigenous peoples across Canada have long managed their lands sustainably, using traditional ecological knowledge passed down through generations. Studies show that lands managed by Indigenous communities often have higher levels of biodiversity and are less affected by deforestation and degradation. A recent study published in Nature Sustainability found that Indigenous-managed lands in the Amazon, Canada, and Australia have lower rates of deforestation and support higher biodiversity than other protected areas. Indigenous stewardship is not only effective but essential for long-term ecological health.

Despite this, First Nations communities in Canada often face barriers to accessing the funding needed to support these conservation initiatives. While Canada has established various mechanisms, like Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), to empower Indigenous-led conservation, the financial resources allocated are insufficient. According to the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI), IPCAs currently receive only a fraction of the funding necessary to scale up their efforts and achieve meaningful, long-term conservation outcomes. Furthermore, a report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) highlights that Indigenous peoples manage or hold tenure over at least 38 million square kilometers of land worldwide, but only a small percentage of global conservation funds reach these communities.

This funding gap limits the ability of First Nations to effectively protect and steward their lands, posing a direct threat to Canada’s 30×30 commitment. Without adequate self-determined sustainable financial resources, these communities cannot carry out essential conservation activities, such as habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, and the sustainable management of natural resources. Additionally, the lack of long-term funding undermines their capacity to plan for and implement strategies that ensure ecological and community resilience over generations.

“Studies show that lands managed by Indigenous communities often have higher levels of biodiversity and are less affected by deforestation and degradation”

-Eddy Adra

Collaborative Funding and Support Model

To close the funding gap and meet Canada’s conservation targets, robust and innovative approaches are required. This involves using financial models like Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) and other scalable conservation finance solutions. By partnering with First Nation leadership, governments, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector must collaborate to provide the necessary resources and frameworks to effectively support First Nations-led stewardship.

The success of the Great Bear Rainforest is an example of how structured and permanent financing can drive effective conservation and improve community well-being. The PFP model in the Great Bear Rainforest brought together First Nations, governments, and philanthropy to create a comprehensive and long-term funding mechanism established the conservation of the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforest. Over the last 15 years, First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest have shown that this model works – resulting in the monitoring of over 7 million hectares, carrying out stewardship work in over 127 protected areas, creating and expanding over 120 businesses resulting in job creation, investments in local economies and incredible impacts to community well-being.

While the PFP model is one tool to support the funding of Indigenous-led conservation, a recent technical report from Coast Funds, Finance for Forests, outlines several other innovative strategies for financing conservation through market-based mechanisms and blended finance models​. The report evaluates mechanisms such as debt-based instruments (i.e. impact bonds), natural asset companies, conservation offsetting and carbon markets, and payment for ecosystem services. These strategies provide solutions to First Nations communities in developing economic activities that maintain the ecological integrity of their lands. By creating funds that support Indigenous-led enterprises and stewardship programs, these initiatives can align conservation efforts with economic empowerment.

A Collaborative Approach – Lead by First Nations

Central to any effective conservation effort must be the leadership of First Nations communities, who possess the traditional knowledge and deep connection to their territories necessary for sustainable stewardship. It is crucial that governments, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector approach these efforts with a commitment to partner, not direct, allowing First Nations to lead and guide the work. This approach requires that Indigenous communities lead the development, planning, and implementation of conservation strategies, with external partners offering support and resources to uplift and expand these initiatives.

Federal and provincial governments must commit to creating and expanding PFP-like mechanisms nationwide. This could involve establishing national and regional conservation funds that prioritize Indigenous-led projects. Government policies need to act as enablers to facilitate First Nations’ conservation efforts and facilitate market-based conservation mechanisms by ensuring clear legal frameworks and accessible platforms for Indigenous communities to participate and benefit.

Canadian philanthropic organizations should expand their support for PFP models and other innovative finance mechanisms. They can play an important role in being first to fund the feasibility and development of these initiatives while further de-risking projects and attracting additional capital, ensuring long-term financial sustainability for conservation initiatives.

The private sector can play a critical role by investing in green bonds, carbon credits, and social finance and impact investment initiatives. By structuring investments that yield both environmental and financial returns, businesses can align with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles and better engage with First Nations community while supporting Canada’s 30×30 goals.

Implementing these collaborative, finance-driven solutions can ensure that First Nations receive the long-term, self-determined sustainable funding needed for their conservation and stewardship visions. By leveraging innovative models like PFP and market-based mechanisms, Canada can create a sustainable and equitable path to achieving its 30×30 targets, while respecting and empowering Indigenous communities as stewards of their territories.

“Central to any effective conservation effort must be the leadership of First Nations communities, who possess the traditional knowledge and deep connection to their territories necessary for sustainable stewardship”

-Eddy Adra

Conclusion

Canada’s 30×30 conservation targets present a critical opportunity to protect biodiversity and address climate change, but achieving these goals will require a shift toward Indigenous-led conservation. By placing First Nations communities at the center of these efforts and allowing them to lead the development and implementation of conservation strategies, Canada can build a path that upholds the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous communities while meeting its conservation goals.

Governments, philanthropic organizations, and the private sector must come together as partners—committed to uplifting and following the guidance of Indigenous communities. This ensures that long-term conservation outcomes are achieved while fostering partnerships that strengthen the resilience of both people and nature for generations to come.