Indigenous-Led Climate Action Drives Cool Earth’s Record Year in 2024

Cool Earth, the charity championing Indigenous and locally-led rainforest protection, is celebrating a record-breaking 2024. With over 2.1 million acres of rainforest protected in total, an area 263 times the size of Central London, Cool Earth’s people-focused approach, supporting 103,000 Indigenous and local rainforest community members, is proving its power.

Among this year’s successes, Cool Earth’s pioneering Basic Income pilot has transformed lives in the Amazon. Over 200 Indigenous people now receive direct financial support, allowing them to prioritise conservation and long-term sustainability. This UN-backed initiative, featured in The Independent and The Guardian, shows that when people thrive, rainforests thrive too. Cool Earth showcased the project at global forums, including COP29 and COP16, emphasising its potential as a scalable solution to the climate crisis.

In Papua New Guinea, Cool Earth opened its first-ever Rainforest Lab, blending cutting-edge technology with traditional ecological knowledge to better protect forests. This initiative builds on two Amazon-based labs established in 2022, where local monitors have identified hundreds of threats and mitigated wildfire risks. Together, these labs help to safeguard 593,000 acres of rainforest and equip communities to serve as frontline defenders of biodiversity.

Meanwhile, in the Peruvian Amazon, the PAAMARI forest fire prevention strategy, launched in collaboration with CARE, trained 275 individuals from 45 Asháninka Indigenous communities in prevention and mitigation techniques. Fires in these communities have been reduced by an impressive 64%, and their territory is 5,000 times less likely to experience fires due to the use of ancestral techniques in their traditional agriculture, compared to areas of industrial farming.

As 2025 approaches, Cool Earth is launching its December Match Funding Campaign to raise £185,000. Every donation will be doubled, helping to protect even more rainforest through the empowerment of Indigenous and local communities.

“Your support has made 2024 a year of measurable progress,” said Matthew Owen, Cool Earth’s Director. “Together, we can safeguard even more rainforest and create a thriving, healthier planet for future generations.”

About Cool Earth 

Cool Earth partners with Indigenous peoples and local communities to protect rainforests, fight climate change, and secure a sustainable future for our planet. Learn more at www.coolearth.org.