Economic OpportunityCarbon, Climate and Indian Country

Native American tribes are reaping rewards, protecting their land and mitigating the effects of climate change by participating in the carbon credit and other environmental commodities markets. The National Indian Carbon Coalition is committed to helping tribal nations and members do this through education, outreach and technical assistance.

Stewarding Healthy Forests - The Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Carbon Project

In June of 2022, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, one of eleven Tribal Nations in the state of Minnesota, reclaimed 28,000 acres of land within its traditional reservation boundaries through a purchase that marks the most significant Tribal Nation land return in the United States. As a critical conservation pathway, the Band is working to leverage carbon credits through a partnership with the National Indian Carbon Coalition and enroll the 28,000 acres of forestland into the voluntary carbon market.

Climate Impact Through Nature-based Climate Solutions

The National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC) team shares projects which lead the high-quality, high-integrity ecosystem service market. Working hand-in-hand with Tribal National and Indigenous communities, NICC is collaboratively developing opportunities to both preserve natural lands and increase access to resources for underrepresented communities. NICC projects support reforestation, improve forest management through education, and support stewardship of native ecosystems while decreasing the effects of invasive species. This video also dives into some of the tools which are coming online to assist in high-integrity project development (such as the Carbon Co-Benefits Tool and the Tribally Invested Carbon Offset Calculator).

Calculate your carbon footprint

When tribal governments, enterprises, members and employees use energy or products made with fossil fuels, they generate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change. The combination of emissions containing carbon caused by work, home, transportation and daily life is called a ‘carbon footprint.’ Do you know what yours is? You can find out by using the TiCO2e Carbon Calculator. It’s quick and easy to determine how your travel affects the environment, and to do your part to help offset the impact. The calculator also generates donations that help support tribal carbon mitigation projects, protect the environment and preserve Indian land for future generations.

Climate change brings economic opportunity for tribes

Climate change presents countless challenges for tribal nations. It also offers tremendous opportunities that are enabling tribal nations and their members to generate income through sustainable management of tribal lands. In Maine, for example, the Passamaquoddy Tribe is expected to earn more than $20 million through the sale of carbon credits while protecting 90,000 acres of land. Not every carbon project is this large but it is an excellent example of how tribal nations are successfully entering the carbon credit market.

National Indian Carbon Coalition

Formed by the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) and the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC) is a non-profit program that helps tribal nations and individual Indian landowners to develop carbon credits and enter environmental commodities markets through the creation of carbon sequestration projects.