First 30×30 Canada – Harnessing Carbon as a Catalyst for Indigenous-Led Conservation

Leveraging Carbon & Nature Finance as a Catalyst for Indigenous-Led Conservation

30x30 Supports Indigenous-led Conservation

Indigenous-Led Conservation

Indigenous Leadership, the 30x30 team and our professional network

Our Network

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Webinars & Announcements

Announcements, Press Release

Beyond Bill 5: Centering Respect, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Stewardship

May 20, 2025

Indigenous Led Conservation, Webinar

WEBINAR: Scaling Investment in Indigenous-led Conservation Across Canada

December 30, 2024

Indigenous Led Conservation, Webinar

WEBINAR: Financing Indigenous-led Conservation

October 17, 2024

Why Now?

As we grapple with overlapping crises for climate, biodiversity, and the loss of Indigenous lands and culture, Canada’s Indigenous peoples are rising to meet the challenge. The Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) movement touches on a number of urgent, intersecting global and national goals — for Indigenous reconciliation, Canada's 30x30 conservation targets, and climate action. This moment offers a vital opportunity for nature’s best stewards to lead the way.

What Is First 30x30 Canada?

How We Work

First 30x30 Canada is an Indigenous-led non-profit initiative that supports Indigenous governments to design and launch projects that generate long-term revenue for land restoration and protection, while advancing Indigenous rights and responsibilities. As a non-profit initiative, we work for Nations – not dollars.

1. We support the movement for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) by connecting nations with carbon finance and other Nature-base Solutions (NbS)
2. We leverage philanthropic funding to remove barriers-to-entry and keep dollars and control in the hands of Nations.
3. We foster high-integrity conservation projects that create lasting value for communities and biodiversity
4. We push boundaries and explore new opportunities to shape the Canadian NbS market landscape for Indigenous Peoples

What WE Do

Project Ideation and Co-Creation

Support Indigenous governments to co-create high-integrity NbS / carbon project concepts.

Early-Stage Project Support

Advance and fund early-stage project analysis, relationship building, and development.

Investor Matching

Launch new projects by connecting Indigenous-led opportunities to investment capital and global corporates.

Fair Benefit-Sharing

Facilitate fair project financing agreements between investors and Indigenous governments based on the principles of free, prior, informed consent. Ensure that Indigenous governments retain >50% of the long-term project revenue.

Indigenous-led Conservation

Indigenous Nations across Canada manage thousands of hectares of old-growth forests, salmon-rich rivers, and buffalo-grazing lands. By protecting these vital places, they safeguard biodiversity, preserve globally significant carbon stores, and uphold deep relationships to the land. We are honoured to support their leadership.