The following statement was delivered during discussion on the Global Implementation Accelerator on June 12 2026 on behalf of the ENGO-DCJ constituency during the 64th meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

Dear delegates, excellencies, I’m Bruna Balbi speaking on behalf of Demand Climate Justice, and wanted to share the perspective of local communities, peasants and Indigenous Peoples.

First, if the GIA seeks to connect fragmented tools, actors and resources, it should also address one of the greatest forms of fragmentation in climate action: the separation between climate policies and territorial rights.

Around the world, communities are already implementing climate action every day through the protection of forests, waters, biodiversity and traditional livelihoods. Yet, many of these same communities still face land insecurity, violence, weak recognition of their rights and limited access to decision-making spaces.

Second, implementation should not be understood only as mobilising more finance or scaling up projects. Effective implementation requires creating the political, legal and territorial conditions that enable communities to continue protecting their territories and contributing to climate stability.

This means strengthening land tenure security, protecting environmental and human rights defenders, and ensuring the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the design, implementation and monitoring of climate policies and initiatives.

Third, the added value of the Accelerator should not be measured only by the amount of resources mobilised or the global actions that are considered replicable by the Board, but by its capacity to remove structural barriers to climate action and deliver tangible benefits for people and territories.

If we are serious about implementation, we must recognise that protecting territories is one of the most effective climate actions available today.

Local communities are not beneficiaries of implementation. They are implementers. The Accelerator should reflect that reality.

Thank you.