***
As Rare refines its 2030 strategy, I’m asking climate leaders the same three questions: Where are the big climate wins that also improve daily life? Athena’s response is below. What follows are her words, verbatim. After each answer, I respond briefly to connect the dots.
Caleb: Where do you see the greatest untapped opportunity for culturally grounded, community-led action and conservation breakthroughs?
Athena: From my perspective, it’s supporting and empowering frontline communities for nature and climate. They are the true guardians of the forests and surrounding ecosystems. Over a third of the world’s most intact biodiverse forests are Indigenous territories, and fundamentally recognizing land rights is key to safeguarding them and confronting and addressing climate change. This remains one of the most underfunded, under-resourced, and least understood areas.
A strategic partnership I help with is the International Land and Tenure Facility. I’m drawn to their work because they exist to empower and lift what Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant peoples, and local communities have been doing for generations: protecting their lands and stewarding natural ecosystems and biodiversity. And their design sets them apart: a groundbreaking enabling mechanism that seeks to have less intermediation, providing some of the largest, most flexible grants that Indigenous communities and local people’s organizations have received over the years…all because the Tenure Facility believes in their ability to lead transformative change.
When I left my last organization, I chose this project to work on because my roots have always been grounded in campaigning for ancestral domain and tenure rights for Indigenous Peoples. Securing tenure always seems to be an afterthought, but it’s time to make it central to achieving durable and long-lasting climate and justice solutions. In many of the geographies where our field works — in Latin America, in the Amazon basin, in Indonesia and other parts of South Asia, and in the Congo Basin, — data shows that awarding land and rural rights to Indigenous communities also contributes to economic prosperity and regional stability.
Securing tenure always seems to be an afterthought, but it’s time to make it central to achieving durable and long-lasting climate and justice solutions.”
So, we must ask what’s getting in the way of scaling and emboldening groups like the Tenure Facility and the work around Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Too often, politics blocks progress, as it has with other climate and nature solutions. External stakeholders can miss the deep understanding and appreciation of a local political economy – but if we don’t understand how change happens in a particular place, we’re not going to succeed in any kind of intervention. Any proposed solution must be rooted in culture, in community, and in the values that will ensure lasting and durable change.
Caleb: I am equally inspired by the International Land Tenure Facility’s work. With my background in oceans, the widespread lack of coastal communities’ rights to their nearshore waters is tragic. At Rare we are increasingly asking how a global organization can best support both the policy framework to expand rights and the capacity of rights-holders to maximize their benefit from them. While it’s increasingly accepted that durable outcomes come from supporting local leadership, securing rights, and making sure resources flow directly to those on the frontlines, we have a long way to go towards realigning our investments toward that vision.
Caleb: If you could move $100 million in climate funding tomorrow, where would you put it, and why?
Athena: In addition to scaling organizations like the International Land Tenure Facility providing core, unrestricted flexible grants, I would invest in the plumbing: the regional, national, and locally led infrastructure that will deliver climate and development outcomes. This would facilitate timely, minimally invasive, and high-impact fund deployment to groups implementing nature and climate initiatives — those closest to the ground. This is the key to change. And it’s nothing new.
Take climate philanthropy — it’s been incubating and supporting regional climate foundations and other local-led initiatives, mainly in the energy, transport, industry, and forestry sectors. The Tara Foundation, focusing on energy transition in Southeast Asia, is one of my favorite successful examples. Other examples are the Institute of Climate and Society (ICS) in Brazil, and the Africa Climate Foundation. Beyond regranting, we need more locally led infrastructure and strategic platforms based in the region. I would like to see more in the nature and climate spaces, and I have decided to move back to Asia for this very reason.
I would also really want to see investment in groups that work on intersectional climate development and poverty issues. Health in Harmony, one of my favorite organizations working in Indonesia, Brazil, and Madagascar, provides health services to Indigenous communities and local people as a holistic program to support locally-led conservation. Lastly, I’d say, empower the very successful models of groups like Thousand Currents or the Global Green Grants Fund, which gives microgrants that reduce administrative and reporting burdens to local community-based organizations, so groups can focus on safeguarding ecosystems and livelihoods.
Caleb: Thanks so much for these very tangible examples. The idea of investing in the plumbing of philanthropy at the regional level makes so much sense. At the community level, it’s incredible to see the impact a small amount of financial support can make. The idea of low-burden and durable financing to build the sector is critical for earlier-stage organizations and institutions that may not yet have the full capacity for larger, more burdensome financing.
Caleb: What emerging idea, movement, or actor gives you the most hope for climate action today?
Athena: I don’t have one single idea. Right now, I’m focused on thinking about how we can secure wins for climate, people, and society with longevity and sustainability, and getting out of our individual silos to address systemic shifts.
Honestly, I see the most innovation and creativity when there’s collaboration for impact. Two good examples are Forest, People and Climate (a coalition of NGOs, indigenous communities, funders, and re-granters) and Renew 2030, a global campaign to promote clean energy alternatives to coal and gas.
I really like the idea of the field (NGOs, community-led organizations, academia, and scientists) partnering with philanthropic foundations and existing funder coalitions, co-creating strategies, and then deploying resources where they matter the most — especially in figuring out democratic and equitable governance system to ensure all stakeholders have a say. I think it shifts us away from this mindset of scarcity and competition with one another and towards a mindset of sufficiency and abundance, deep collaboration, and high trust. These partnerships get to the real imperatives that will stop the disastrous impacts of climate change on people, achieve economic prosperity, and build resilience.
And finally, what I appreciate about these field-led and funder collaboratives is the magic of collective thinking on the strategic levers or system enablers that need to be supported as part of the full-picture ‘surround sound.’ For example, several Asian donors are really interested in low-emissions rice (transforming how we produce rice to reduce emissions from methane) and ensuring the resilience and economic prosperity of small- and medium-sized farmers in Southeast Asia. If you are in a collaborative, you can think about the local movement that smallholder farmers and fishers must lead as well as the whole suite of systems solutions, like the enabling of strategic communications or policy. We must see climate finance, innovation, capacity building, and institutional support as enablers of systems-level change.
“What I appreciate about these field-led and funder collaboratives is the magic of collective thinking on the strategic levers or system enablers that need to be supported as part of the full-picture ‘surround sound.’”
Caleb: Collaboration is so key to our sector. In fact, last week I had an incredible interview with Fernanda Boscaini of Forest, Peoples, and Climate, who elevated the same point. In my own career, I’ve seen it in collaborating with communities, organizations, and funders to launch initiatives that have brought the most personal satisfaction and impact. Real, inclusive, issue-based conservation on the barriers and potential solutions that collaboration can unlock is powerful. I’m really excited to embark on several of these new partnership-oriented ventures as Rare enters our next phase.
I am inspired by your work and ideas, Athena. You have highlighted so many instances of hope rooted in tangible, place-based, community-led solutions. Excited to see what the next chapter brings!
Follow Caleb McClennen on LinkedIn for more insights into Rethinking Conservation.