Well managed carbon markets provide opportunities for nature, communities, and the economy. However, the introduction and implementation of carbon credit schemes also comes with serious risks, especially to vulnerable populations and contexts. Communities and individuals with insecure tenure rights face the risk of being excluded from benefit sharing, decision-making or even being forced off their land.

This session will discuss prevalent risks as well as ways to address these for communities to become empowered stakeholders in carbon markets, contribute to their management and benefit from them. 

Session objectives:

• Provide an overview of potential benefits and risks of carbon markets for communities;

• Establish basic requirements needed to safeguard community rights in carbon markets and enable benefit sharing and a meaningful role of communities in carbon markets;

• Discuss concrete examples of solutions that support community empowerment in carbon credit schemes.

• Formulate recommendations to the parties to the UNFCCC to consider during the COP28 negotiations in relation to carbon markets