They have launched their own nationally determined contribution
On Wednesday (Oct. 16), CONAQ, Brazil's national association of quilombola communities - the descendants of runaway enslaved people who organized themselves in territories known as quilombos - launched the Quilombola Nationally Determined Contribution, a document that presents demands to be incorporated into Brazil's commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
The text proposes that the Brazilian government recognize quilombola territories as an essential part of national climate policy. According to the association, the launch is a milestone in climate justice and racial reparation that brings together ancestral knowledge and environmental science in an action plan with clear goals, deadlines, and indicators.
"Quilombos are not only affected by the climate crisis, they are also a central part of the climate solution. By protecting our territories, we quilombolas do a good part of the mitigation and conservation work," says Selma Dealdina, the association's political coordinator.
Quilombos are seen as effective barriers against deforestation. Granting them title to their lands could be one of Brazil's cheapest and most efficient climate policies, the association argue. According to data cited in the document, titled quilombo territories lost 3.2 percent of their native vegetation from 1985 to 2022 - less than half the rate observed in private areas (17%).
The text mentions recent strides by the United Nations, such as the recognition of Afro-descendants in the Convention on Biodiversity and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
These milestones, the association states, pave the way for quilombolas to have direct access to climate finance and an active voice at COP30, to be held in the Amazon city of Belém in November. The document calls for 40 percent of national and international climate resources to be allocated directly to quilombola communities, including funds such as the Climate Fund, the Amazon Fund, and the Green Climate Fund.
Strategic pillars
The Quilombola Nationally Determined Contribution is based on three pillars:
* land use and land tenure planning - introducing goals to secure title to 44 territories by 2026 and 536 by 2030, which will guarantee legal certainty and preserve 1 billion tons of carbon;
* just energy transition and prior consultation - ensuring that quilombola communities are consulted on 1,385 mining and infrastructure projects, in accordance with Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization; and
* sustainable development with social, racial, and climate Justice - implementing plans for adaptation, traditional management, forest restoration, and the strengthening of the National Policy for Quilombola Territorial and Environmental Management.
Quilombos
Brazil has more than 1 million quilombola people, spread across 1,700 cities, 24 states, and the Federal District. They are part of the 56 percent of the Brazilians who identify as black, as per data from the association.
Their territories, the quilombos, add up to 494 - 147 of which titled and 347 in the process of land titling. They occupy 3.8 million hectares, which corresponds to 0.5 percent of the Brazilian territory. Most quilombos are located in the Amazon (181) and the Atlantic forest biomes (136).