As global negotiators gather for COP30 in the heart of the Amazon, climate standards group Equitable Earth unveiled a new methodology aimed at reshaping how forest conservation projects earn and trade carbon credits.
The framework, called M002, updates the REDD+ system for avoiding unplanned deforestation and degradation and is designed to streamline certification for community-led conservation.
The organization said more than 4 million hectares (nearly 10 million acres) of forest in Brazil, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are already entering certification under the standard.
Built through the Equitable Earth Coalition, which in 2023 brought together more than 125 Indigenous leaders, scientists and conservation experts, M002 was developed to ensure Indigenous participation and consistent, transparent carbon accounting.
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“We urgently need to both protect and restore the world’s ecosystems. With M002, we’ve expanded our methodologies to enable both,” said Thibault Sorret, Equitable Earth’s chief executive.
The initiative launches at Aldeia COP, a central gathering space for up to 3,000 Indigenous leaders attending COP30, currently taking place in Belém, Brazil.
Beto Borges, director at Forest Trends, said the new framework highlights a critical shift in climate finance: “Protecting forests means recognising the rights and leadership of those who live within them.”
The M002 standard introduces independent, centralized carbon accounting and remote-sensing tools to monitor deforestation, providing what Equitable Earth calls a uniform and conservative approach to crediting.
It also formalizes benefit-sharing rules through a Livelihoods Pillar requiring measurable outcomes for local and Indigenous communities.
Equitable Earth’s program, already approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), is set to expand to additional ecosystems such as peatlands and carbon removal projects, reinforcing its position in the fast-evolving landscape of high-integrity carbon markets.
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