The Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) exists to transform how the world finances climate and biodiversity action. Working through 10 initiatives across Indigenous territories in 12 countries, ICI partners directly with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to unlock the scale, autonomy, and long-term institutional strength required to protect the world’s most vital ecosystems.

Indigenous Peoples are the most effective stewards of biodiversity and climate solutions. Yet their impact is constrained when funding is fragmented into small, short-term grants that undermine territorial governance and limit intergenerational resilience. ICI was created to change this.

We are building and demonstrating a model of large-scale, long-term direct financing that positions Indigenous institutions—not intermediaries—at the center of climate and biodiversity action. By investing at scale and over longer horizons, we enable Indigenous organizations to strengthen governance, manage territories holistically, and sustain leadership across generations.

Our ambition is not only to deliver results on the ground, but to drive system-level change. Financing systems must evolve so Indigenous organizations can access and manage resources on their own terms, without being forced to contort themselves around rules designed for governments, multilateral banks, or large international NGOs.