Traditional Cultural Expression: The Missing Link in Article 7(5) Adaptation Strategies

The UN Climate Regime does not make forward strides in the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) despite its commitment to sustainable development, eradication of poverty, and engagement with Indigenous Peoples. This chapter provides a twofold view that TK is valued for climate change adaptation and can help address climate adaptation but is also open to the risk of appropriation and uncompensated use because of the structures set up under Article 7.5 of the Paris Agreement. TK for climate action is contextualised within international legal activity to protect TK. While it is not within the scope of the Paris Agreement to directly address the legal protection of TK, it can strengthen TK through the recognition of its mode of transmission, i.e. traditional cultural expression, through a TK-sensitive implementation of Articles 6, 10, and 11 and building in safeguards against uncompensated utilisation of TK.