First Peoples Worldwide Annual Report 2021-2022

First Peoples Worldwide works from a foundation of Indigenous Values to achieve a sustainable future for all. Please take a moment to read the First Peoples Worldwide 2022 Annual Report. Encompassing projects and achievements from July 2021 through June 2022, the report highlights our work to build the business case for Indigenous Rights and the right to free, prior and informed consent (FIPIC); center Indigenous sovereignty in climate initiatives and low-carbon economic development; further ESG+I frameworks in finance and investment; create connection and facilitate problem-solving through convenings, workshops, and consultations; and prioritize perspectives and principles from communities and Indigenous leaders in corporate practice and the global economic discourse. 

MESSAGE FROM FIRST PEOPLES WORLDWIDE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends:

It is through First Peoples Worldwide’s role as a convener, connector, and amplifier that we are privileged to be a part of mainstreaming the rights of Indigenous Peoples through the capital markets. I am once again delighted to present our Annual Report, and with it, the people, places, and work that drive our mission forward.

I wrote last year that the field of corporate accountability was experiencing tectonic shifts, and that is still true! We have responded to the changing landscape by building strong partnerships with a core commitment to activate levers for positive change when they appear.

Threaded throughout this report, you will find the following:

Connection.
We had coffee, meals, and meetings with you all, bringing a fullness to relationship and partnership that cannot be understated. Because our work is multi-disciplinary, these meetings allow us invaluable insights into how, when, and where our shared work elevates Indigenous solutions.

In these spaces, Indigenous Peoples’ leadership is unmistakable across sectors. This leadership halts development projects that proceed without consent through shareholder engagement; improves automotive company policy on responsible sourcing; creates on-the-ground renewable energy and Net Zero solutions; and moves the markets closer to recognizing that Indigenous languages and cultures cannot be used without clear ties to Indigenous leadership, input, and consent.

Sovereignty in Net Zero.
Opportunity in the global transition to a lowcarbon economy is parallel to the opportunity we have to solve for the climate crisis by integrating Indigenous values into economic models–values that point towards the wellbeing of our families, our human and nonhuman relatives, and our environment. What magnifies this opportunity, as I shared at the Toward Net Zero by 2050 conference, is not only that we are meeting the demands of the energy transition in real time, but that we are faced with rectifying the challenging aspects of partnership between the private sector and Indigenous Peoples, and building better partnership founded on equity and respect.

Indigenous knowledge is a leading indicator of wellbeing amidst climate change. At the same time, Indigenous expertise has produced a tested solution set of innovation and entrepreneurial approaches to meet climate, energy, and economic challenges. Most proposed solutions for achieving Net Zero by 2050–be it clean power stations, carbon capture and storage facilities, or new mines for transition minerals–rely on using Indigenous lands and resources. Indigenous expertise housed in every sector will ultimately drive corporate commitments from words to action.

ESG+I.
Many of you have seen how the field of ESG investing is undergoing increased scrutiny on all sides of the political and social justice spectrum. While watching these shifts in real time, we began pulling together investors around the concept of putting the “I in ESG”, as formulated by our partners at First Nations Major Projects Coalition.

The idea is simple: the entire ESG framework is stronger when it considers Indigenous impact, opportunity, and solutions throughout processes. Scanning the comment letters submitted in response to the SEC’s proposed climate rule this year, over two dozen contained language advocating for recognition and integration of Indigenous Peoples in climate-related risk disclosures. Momentum is growing for operational respect for Indigenous rights. 

As to Indigenous Peoples, our frameworks for designing economic principles around enoughness and sustainability have preceded us by centuries, and I am confident these values will carry on in perpetuity whether through ESG or other frameworks.

We at First Peoples Worldwide will continue our work to bring these perspectives and principles from communities and Indigenous leaders into the global discourse with persistence and integrity. We will continue storytelling through research, advancing expertise through convenings, building knowledge through workshops, and advocating for corporate responsibility at the highest levels. We are honored and inspired to move this work forward with you towards a sustainable future for all.

With gratitude for all that we’ve achieved together, and all that we will achieve in the coming years. I cannot wait to connect with you soon. Enjoy!

Warmly,

Kate R. Finn, Executive Director
First Peoples Worldwide

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Photo: courtesy of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition and Patrick Hinton Photography