This checklist helps readers look beyond a proposal’s promises to examine the arrangements that support them. It pairs warning signs with positive safeguards across consent, rights, benefit-sharing, cultural material, environmental claims, fees and conflicts of interest.
Further sections explore monitoring and verification, additionality, baselines, reversal risk, registries and tokenisation, with additional considerations for carbon and biodiversity markets. The format helps communities and partners identify questions, request evidence and discuss responsibilities before commitments or public claims are made.
Use it alongside the Bilateral Readiness to Partner Checklist and Nature Markets Glossary. Its prompts can support discussion of community protection, transparency and credible outcomes. As the PDF explains, it is a practical guide that may need adapting to different partners and circumstances, rather than a rigid or exhaustive checklist.
Developed by Pollination Foundation, with input from partners, expert practitioners and community members.
