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Nearly a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from Timber harvesting, land-use change and agricultureClearing forests for farmland is one example. Many believe carbon markets are key to channelling billions into reducing these emissions while protecting forests and other carbon sinks in developing countries.
Carbon markets are trading platforms that allow countries, businesses, individuals, and other entities to buy or sell units greenhouse gas emissions. These markets facilitate carbon offsetting — compensating for carbon dioxide emissions in one location by reducing or removing emissions elsewhere. For example, a British company that depends on natural gas heating could buy offsets that help finance restoration of a coastal mangrove tree in Indonesia.
However, there are risks associated with the increased interest in carbon markets that operate internationally. Many forest carbon offsetting schemes are located on land that has been claimed and inhabited by Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities. But often, the rights of these communities have not been secured, putting their well-being at risk — and threatening the future of carbon markets.
The carbon market is growing
Reliance on carbon markets has been a problem Criticized for allowing corporations to delay their emission reductions in developed countries and other countries, Encroaching on the lands and communities of Indigenous PeoplesAnd Nature is changing.
The voluntary carbon market, which allows people and companies to purchase carbon offsets as part their corporate or personal commitments, is growing rapidly. The voluntary market will be worth $2.5 trillion by 2021. Exceeded US$1BillionIn 2020, it will be more than twice as high.
The market trades a large portion of carbon credits that are generated by carbon sequestration projects in forests and soils. These projects will likely play an increasing part in the future. Compliance marketsAs countries try to meet their obligations and reduce their emissions,
(Shutterstock)
Recent research by McGill University and Rights and Resources Initiative, which included us, revealed that Many of the carbon sinks identified by offsetting schemes are in lands where Indigenous rights or local rights have not yet been protected. Most of the tropical forested countries looking to benefit from carbon markets have not yet defined communities’ rights over the carbon held in their customary lands and territories.
This situation threatens the well-being both of the communities and the viability and viability carbon markets.
Communities at Risk
COP26 will take place in November 2021. The Article 6 rules govern market-based activities. States agreed to a set of rulesThe Paris Agreement. Article 6 describes the co-operative options that countries have to take in order to meet their climate targets. These include market mechanisms like carbon markets.
Continue reading:
COP26: Strong carbon-trading rules could help the planet avoid dangerous levels global warming
Negotiators weren’t able completely eliminate the loopholes for using offsets. The rules are intended to improve environmental integrity. Avoid double counting emissions reductions — where a single greenhouse gas emission reduction or removal unit is counted more than once to comply with emissions reductions targets — and provide enhanced transparency.
As the private and public carbon markets grow, so does the Potential benefits and risks of carbon trading to Indigenous Peoples and local Communities increase.
Potential benefitsThese include increased financial flows to forest protection and conservation, better recognition and opportunities for livelihood, such as the sustainable harvest of non-timber forests products.
For example, Plan Vivo is leading a project as a carbon offsetting standard. in collaboration with the hunter-gatherer Hadza and pastoralist Datooga communities in northwestern Tanzania has reduced deforestation, enhanced tenure security (the recognition of a person’s rights to land by others) — and provided local communities with additional income.
The other side is that increasing the economic value and carbon sequestered in the lands or territories held by communities, legally recognized or unrecognized, creates incentives. land-grabbingby governments, NGOs, and corporations. One of the most famous examples of this type is the Kenyan program to reduce deforestation. Forcible expulsion of thousands of Indigenous people from their ancestral lands and forests.
To maximize benefits and avoid any harms, governments, private and public investors, as well as other players in the world of climate finance, must adopt rights-based approaches. This will fully respect, preserve, and realize Indigenous Peoples’ rights, local communities, and other stakeholders. Afro-descendant peoplesQuilombola, Brazil. It will be difficult to achieve these ends in the face of increasing pressure for results.
The importance of securing communities’ rights
Our report revealed that many countries lack the laws, regulations, and safeguards necessary to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities.
Our study analyzed 31 countries that hold almost 70 per cent of the world’s tropical forests. We found that less then a quarter of them recognize the rights of communities and other stakeholders to govern and benefit from carbon rights. Even fewer have followed the rules and safeguards required under the United NationsThe World BankFor forest carbon trading
Our recent research revealed the following key findings:
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Only six countries recognize carbon community rights (Ethiopians, Peru, and Republic of Congo) and tie such rights to legal ownership of lands (private, communal, or communal) (Brazil. Colombia. Costa Rica).
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Only five countries — Costa Rica, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines and Vietnam define how carbon and non-carbon benefits will be shared. These include the amount of carbon sequestered or avoided, as well as any additional socio-economic and environmental benefits. Only Vietnam has an operating benefit-sharing program.
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Only Mexico and Costa Rica are the only two countries that have implemented feedback and grievance systems.
(Nina R/flickr), CC BY
Closing of the Gap
Crediting schemes, private investors and civil society organizations, as well as dedicated institutions, must collaborate with tropical forest governments in order to close the gap between voluntary carbon markets’ ambition and actualization.
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Protect and ensure the legal recognition of the land and forest rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afrodescendant Peoples.
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Protect the human rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and Afro-descendant Peoples. This includes their right to free, informed consent.
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Ensure that communities and peoples are fully and effectively involved in all Article 6 activities, including initial design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
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Access to independent legal counsel and grievance resolution mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afro-descendant Peoples.
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Increase direct financing support for community-led efforts, needs and priorities.
Combined with the fundamental decarbonization of global supply chains and changes in the incentives that drive deforestation and forest degradation, binding commitments to respect forest and land rights are necessary to protect the world’s forests and the communities that live in or near them.
