Roads to Tribal Leadership in Emissions Cleanup: A Report to the Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission
Version 1.0, December 2025
We are asking you to read and/or forward this report to Tribal leadership and staff interested in Climate Change and how Tribes and Indigenous Peoples around the world can affect the future. The following link will lead you to a report on desperately needed Climate Action. EDIT
The report was developed for the Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission, founded by the Tunica-Biloxi, Snoqualmie, and Squaxin Island Tribes, and founding President, Quinault tribal member Fawn Sharp. The IGGRC is an organization open to any federally recognized tribe as members.
The report was developed by a broad group of tribal scientists, academic researchers, and Partnerships for Tribal Carbon Solutions, a program of Global Ocean Health, and took almost two years to complete and reach a consensus-based approach to one of, or perhaps the world’s most pressing problem—warming of the atmosphere and damage to waters, lands, animals and plants—our global ecosystem.
The report is a product of having examined four scenarios and what is expected given their specific scope:
No action—As you might know or suspect this condition is dire and change is needed.
Emission only Reduction—This approach is the most direct and effective action, but international scientists have raised alarms that it will not be enough to prevent major catastrophes as the World warms at too high a rate of change.
Emission Reduction + Nature Based Solutions—This is a very viable approach and one that has been broadly supported by Tribes. This is the key question this report tries to address… Is it enough?
Emission Reduction + Nature-based solutions + Use of technology—Based on scientific evidence identified, without lowering emphasis on bullets 2 and 3, the report says this work will be needed to offset greenhouse gases effects.
Part I of the report offers recommendations to help guide the IGGRC as it works to build Tribal capacity, coordinate learning, and advance Indigenous leadership in greenhouse gas removal governance. These recommendations are not prescriptive mandates. They are offered as a strategic framework for collective deliberation, grounded in Tribal sovereignty, technical reality, and multigenerational stewardship.
Part II provides background information and resources for Tribes and partners evaluating opportunities and risks in this emerging field, including Tribal governance of carbon sequestration wells, marine carbon dioxide removal, carbon market and governance considerations, opportunity assessment tools, and potential applications related to Tribal food and water sovereignty, salinated water, and biochar.
All of the participants in this work believe having Tribes lead an effort to help define this climate work is critical for it to be effective, to do no harm to tribal interests, and ultimately get greenhouse gases under control for our future generations.