Indigenous Peoples Must Lead Reformed Voluntary Carbon Market, ICVCM Forum Argues

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market has launched an Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs) VCM Engagement Forum to give communities managing critical ecosystems a formal voice in shaping carbon market rules. Research cited by the Forum estimates that the voluntary carbon market could fund up to one-third of nature-based climate solutions, potentially reducing emissions by 2.7 billion tonnes annually by 2030.

The Engagement Forum was established following a workshop held by the ICVCM and The Nature Conservancy at COP27. The self-governing body represents communities from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, and aims to ensure that IPs and LCs participate in the VCM not merely as project hosts but as shareholders, with access to income opportunities, co-ownership of projects, and biodiversity protection benefits. Indigenous and local communities manage approximately 40% of the planet's ecologically intact landscapes, making their engagement structurally important to the ICVCM's forestry and nature-based methodology assessments.

The Forum's establishment addresses a recognised inequity in climate finance flows: despite being stewards of the ecosystems underpinning nature-based carbon credits, IPs and LCs have received disproportionately little benefit from the voluntary carbon market. The blog post, adapted from remarks by Onel Masardule, Co-Chair of the Forum, argues that without IPs and LCs as strategic partners in decision-making, the VCM cannot achieve the scale of integrity required to attract corporate buyers. The Forum will provide guidance on CCP development and identify priorities including benefit distribution, capacity building, and removal of legal and financial barriers to VCM participation.

The Forum will coordinate with ICVCM's Expert Panel and broader governance structures, building on the three governing board seats already reserved for IPs and LCs representatives. Key near-term priorities include developing a capacity-building strategy for communities, establishing best practices in ecological knowledge recognition and benefit sharing, and removing technical and legal barriers that prevent communities from participating in the VCM. The Forum represents a foundational commitment by the ICVCM to ensure that reformed carbon markets deliver tangible and durable benefits for the world's most climate-exposed communities.

Key figure — 40% — share of the planet's ecologically intact landscapes managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities