What Can COP30 Teach Us About Indigenous Leadership and Climate Action?

Fresh from the road to COP30, Mara brings a powerful perspective shaped by her work with the Australian Ethical Foundation and her time on the ground in Belém at the mouth of the Amazon. Working alongside WA First Nations leader Professor Anne Poelina—Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council—Mara helped lead a series of dynamic dialogues in the Australian Pavilion, spotlighting Indigenous‑led “forever‑industries” and bold new approaches to climate adaptation. She also shares insights from the first national pilot of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists’ Blueprint for Landscape Repair, now unfolding in the West Kimberley under Professor Poelina’s stewardship.

Beyond the Amazon, Mara joined pre‑COP nature‑finance sessions in São Paulo with the Task Force for Nature‑Related Disclosure and participated in KPMG discussions on the rise of Renewable Energy Zones—bringing home a unique blend of frontline experience, policy innovation, and systems‑level thinking.