This practical guide is designed to support Indigenous Peoples’ understanding of carbon markets, with a particular focus on forests and forest carbon. As Indigenous territories increasingly attract interest from carbon market actors, the guide responds to a growing need for clear, accessible and rights-based information.
Structured around 13 key questions, the publication explains how carbon credits and carbon markets work, the opportunities they may present, and the risks they can pose when rights, land tenure and consent are not adequately protected. It explores safeguards; free, prior and informed consent; benefit-sharing; and issues such as carbon rights, market integrity and the relationship between REDD+ and carbon markets, while highlighting the importance of Indigenous leadership and participation throughout project cycles.
