Climate colonialism and carbon financialization: Reflections on REDD+ and the Socio-Territorial Autonomy of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon

Abstract

In this article, I explore the concept of “climate colonialism,” a multifaceted process of exploitation and subjugation of countries, peoples, and regions under the guise of combating global climate emergencies. I examine how this form of control intersects with the emerging financialization of carbon in the Amazon, a region crucial for global climate policies as it stores approximately 17% of the planet's terrestrial carbon. In this regard, I aim to highlight how neoliberal climate mitigation mechanisms, particularly REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), may impact the socio-territorial autonomy of indigenous communities and perpetuate structures of domination. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that includes literature review, public policy analysis, interviews, and field research in the Brazilian Amazon, I argue that although mechanisms like REDD+ are promoted as “solutions” based on “indigenous protagonism”, their actual effects often deepen the climate crisis and serve as heteronomous forces in territories. I suggest that strengthening mechanisms of autonomy and territorial governance, directly controlled by indigenous communities, is critical for effectively addressing the climate crisis. In this context, I emphasize the need for strengthening indigenous rights to territory and self-determination and the implementation of reparative policies that recognize the concrete importance of these communities to the planet's climate.

Keywords: Climate Colonialism; Indigenous Peoples; REDD+; Territorial Autonomy; Legal Amazon.