Photo: U.S. by Nancy Kelsey (Anishinaabe)/ Nia Tero.
Climate Week NYC 2026
Advancing Indigenous Peoples' guardianship on the global stage
© Photo: by Antônio Cruz/Agência Brasil.
As world leaders gather at Climate Week NYC, it is vital that climate discussions center Indigenous Peoples' guardianship – Earth's best time-tested climate solution.
Climate Week NYC brings together leaders from government, business and civil society for a week of climate action, held in parallel with the U.N. General Assembly. It is an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples, who have cared for their ancestral lands and waters for millennia, to share their knowledge of climate solutions with key leaders and funders.
Since our inception, Nia Tero has provided more than $125 million in direct funding to Indigenous Peoples and their trusted allies, supporting 274 distinct Indigenous Peoples across 46 biocultural settings worldwide.
Why Indigenous Peoples' guardianship?
25% of our planet's lands and waters
are cared for by Indigenous Peoples
40% of our planet's healthiest ecosystems
are on Indigenous lands
Yet less than 1%
of global climate funding goes to Indigenous Peoples
Featured events: Nia Tero at Climate Week NYC
September 20, 2026
Salt & Stone – 'Remathau: People of the Ocean' & 'Te Ara-The Path'
Join us for a double-feature screening of Te Ara – The Path and Remathau: People of the Ocean, celebrating the journeys, resilience, and achievements of Indigenous women. Followed by a Q&A.
Details
September 22, 2026
Pro Briefing: Rethinking Leadership for Climate Action: Lessons from Nia Tero
Explore how Nia Tero is rethinking leadership, governance, and philanthropy by recognizing Indigenous Peoples as essential partners in climate action, and what other organizations can learn from this approach.
Details
September 22, 2026
Ownership in Practice: Indigenous Leadership and the Next 20 Years of Restoration
Explore how Indigenous leadership and ownership can shape the next twenty years of ecological restoration, with a focus on Indigenous knowledge, decision-making and long-term stewardship.
DetailsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Climate Week NYC is one of the world's largest annual climate events, bringing together leaders from government, business, civil society and communities to advance climate action. Each year, the event brings together more than 100,000 people across 1,000+ events in New York City.
Climate Week NYC 2026 takes place Sept. 20–27, alongside the U.N. General Assembly in New York City.
Indigenous Peoples' participation in Climate Week NYC is important because it is a forum where key decisions are discussed and made regarding climate policy, finance and the future of lands and waters. Indigenous Peoples need to be part of those decisions, not only because their rights and territories are directly affected, but because their knowledge, governance and guardianship are the world's best time-tested solution for addressing the climate crisis.
Nia Tero and our Indigenous partners take part in events throughout Climate Week. For more:
- Check out our events calendar
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
Guardianship refers to the ways Indigenous Peoples care for their ancestral lands and waters, grounded in knowledge passed down across generations.
Less than 1% of global climate funding goes to Indigenous Peoples, despite their territories holding 40% of the world's healthiest remaining ecosystems. Closing that gap is one of the most direct ways to strengthen climate and biodiversity outcomes.
Nia Tero is committed to providing direct funding to Indigenous Peoples, which accounts for approximately 90 percent of our grantmaking.