Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) plays a critical role in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. Rooted in culturally specific practices and ecological relationships, ILK offers contextually relevant solutions that are being recognised in global policy frameworks. Despite this, integration of ILK remains inconsistent due to historical marginalisation, weak legal protections, and systemic biases in policy and science. Drawing on frameworks like the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, this policy brief recommends legal recognition, participatory governance, direct funding to Indigenous peoples and local communities, and the development of culturally sensitive monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems. South Africa, under its G20 presidency, has the opportunity to lead a systemic shift toward the integration of ILK, building on participatory platforms such as IPBES, which offer a strong foundation for operationalising this transformation.