National First Peoples Platform on Climate Change

The Climate Systems Hub, which includes the Climate Adaptation Initiative, values and commits to strong, lasting and respectful partnerships with Indigenous Australians.

These engagements encompass the principles of Free Prior Informed Consent and Indigenous-led and co-designed protocols. This will ensure our research will respect and value cultural protocols and safety.

The Hub’s Indigenous engagement activities are overseen by the Climate Systems Hub’s Indigenous Facilitator with support from the National First Peoples Platform on Climate Change Steering Committee (the Committee).

The Committee is an apolitical advisory body, comprised of Traditional Owners who have been endorsed to participate on the committee. The purpose of the Committee is to work with the NESP Climate Systems Hub to provide advice and guidance on developing the research agenda, develop culturally appropriate projects established under the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) (this is intellectual Property pertaining to First Peoples Ownership) on climate change. This information will assist First Peoples in caring for Country in a changing climate.

The Climate Systems Hub’s Indigenous Facilitator, the Committee and the Indigenous partnerships team build research capability within the Hub by:

• engaging in cross-Hub Indigenous Facilitation networks
• networking with stakeholders and communities at key events and by request
• facilitating relationships between Indigenous researchers and Climate Systems Hub scientists to enable science co-design
• brokering science partnerships with Indigenous communities
• consulting on best practice and ethically sound research methodologies.

The Committee provides advice and guidance to the Climate Systems Hub in line with the co-design principles, in collaboration with the Indigenous Facilitator and partnerships team to:

• ensure projects in the Hub’s Research Plans are implemented in ways that are ethical and culturally appropriate
• provide guidance as appropriate on ICIP and Free, Prior and Informed Consent and co-development of relevant projects for the Cultural Safety of First Peoples
• develop and implement a National First Peoples Gathering on Climate Change
• identify opportunities to include Indigenous people and communities in Hub science projects.

For more information on the Hub’s approach to Indigenous engagement please see the Indigenous Partnerships Strategy.

Read more

2021 First Nation Peoples Statement on Climate Change (PDF)

You can read more about the outcomes of the National First Peoples Platform on Climate Change in the communiques produced for each steering committee meeting. 

Communique of the Inaugural Steering Committee meeting (25-27 October 2022)

Communique of the second Steering Committee meeting (30 January 2023)

Communique of the third Steering Committee meeting (5 April 2023)