RAD Accelerator Circles Kick Off
We recently held our first RAD Accelerator Circle, kicking off a new initiative to accelerate Indigenous natural climate solutions.
What are Accelerator Circles?
Accelerator Circles are short online engagements, designed to explore innovative solutions and actionable steps forwards for place-based challenges. We convene around a project or strategic opportunity that Indigenous Nations are facing related to advancing nature-based solutions.
In a small talking circle format, practitioners share their challenges and aspirations with a carefully curated panel of experienced voices who provide feedback and support. Circles bring together a small group of knowledge holders, experts, and asset stewards to listen and to share their knowledge and strategic advice and wisdom in order to accelerate a project’s success. The initiative taps into the technical expertise, hindsight lessons, and collaborative spirit of the network to support Nations to move through challenges and unlock opportunities.
Kick-off Circle: Rights & Carbon Markets in Ontario
While testing and developing the approach, we held a pilot Accelerator Circle with Wahkohtowin Development. As a social enterprise made up of the Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree and Brunswick House First Nations, Wahkohtowin pursues the future needs of communities by increasing Indigenous participation in land stewardship and protection within their shared Traditional Territories.
Wahkohtowin is advancing a nature-based carbon project and has interested carbon credit buyers through voluntary carbon markets. However, as with many efforts to advance such projects in Ontario, Wahkohtowin is facing barriers, such as: uncertain jurisdiction, undelineated carbon and ecosystem services rights, an unclear pathway to market, and an unwilling provincial government. The Accelerator Circle helped to explore pathways forward.
To guide the discussion, Wahkohtowin’s General Manager, David Flood, posed the question: What are the instruments the Nations in Ontario should use to ensure direct access to Indigenous Carbon and Nature based markets?
The Accelerator Circle brought together 10 individuals from diverse backgrounds to offer their perspectives. The circle generated questions, suggestions and ideas for leveraging marketplace opportunities and overcoming policy barriers. For instance, the group considered how Nations might bypass the need to establish an Atmospheric Benefit Sharing Agreement (ABSA) with an unwilling province, and discussed legal pathways to assert Indigenous carbon rights. All agreed on the importance of asserting Indigenous rights and sovereignty, and supporting Nations to “hold the pen” and take ownership of these processes.
Photo credit: Wahkohtowin Development.
Overall, it was a successful first Accelerator Circle and we look forward to continuing to adjust and improve our approach to best serve all who choose to take part.
Register Your Interest
Are you facing a challenge or roadblock in advancing a project in your community? Have a question that you’d like to bring forwards for peer and expert input? Click here to register your interest or email radpartnership@gmail.com to arrange a call. Selection will be based on available experts and resources to support an effective process.
