The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has established a new forum to ensure Indigenous peoples and local communities have a strong voice in shaping a high-integrity voluntary carbon market (VCM).
This will be an independent and self-governing body, comprising eight representatives from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and the Northern Region.
The Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Voluntary Carbon Market Engagement Forum aims to protect and promote their rights and interests, ICVCM said in a statement Tuesday.
Interim co-Chair Onel Masardule emphasized the crucial role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in protecting forests and the natural world, asserting their right to benefit from carbon credit projects.
He stressed the importance of preserving their rights and providing safety nets for active participation in the VCM and climate change solutions.
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Annette Nazareth, Chair of the Integrity Council, highlighted the forum’s role in ensuring Indigenous peoples and local communities can manage vital ecosystem services and benefit from sustainable development through carbon credit projects.
The VCM allows organizations to buy carbon credits representing one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduced or removed from the atmosphere, unlocking private finance to support climate solutions and the transition to net-zero emissions.
The forum aims to enhance Indigenous and local community participation in the VCM and increase their benefits by ensuring the VCM aligns with the Paris Agreement’s climate objectives while safeguarding their rights and interests; identifying priorities and strategically engaging with the ICVCM and other organizations; providing technical assistance and sharing best practices; and strengthening and coordinating engagement with the market and facilitating collaboration with other participants.
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The forum, which will meet every two months, had its inaugural meeting in July and plans to elect two co-Chairs in September.
Members include Diel Mochire Mwenge (Africa), Stella Napanu (Africa), Jagat Bahadur Baram (Asia), Mamta Lama (Asia), Fermin Chimatani Tayori (Latin America), Onel Masardule (Latin America), Leighton Gall (Northern Region), and Dawn Katovai (Oceania).
The forum is a key outcome of a COP 27 workshop hosted by the ICVCM and The Nature Conservancy, where Indigenous representatives called for better coordination and capacity building.
The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) set a global benchmark for high-integrity carbon credits, requiring robust social and environmental safeguards and transparency in benefit-sharing with Indigenous peoples and local communities.
A work program is underway to strengthen these criteria further, with the next version of the CCP rulebook expected in 2026.
