In the Press

To save carbon projects, make them fair

The other five principles focus on the people who live where the projects take place. No carbon project should happen without the free, prior, informed consent of the communities whose land is in question. Instead of displacing those people, carbon projects should harness their leadership as land stewards, and compensate them with at least 50 per cent of the revenue.

Kenya has an opportunity to bring these principles to life. The 27 pastoralist communities who host the Northern Rangelands Trust project have been clear: they welcome the project. Communities have received meaningful payments, which they have used to improve water infrastructure, fund scholarships, and build roads. An independent audit verified that the community grazing plans developed under the project have led to greater carbon storage in the soil, likely due to better grass cover. That means less carbon in the atmosphere. It also means more food for the animals on which the pastoralists of northern Kenya depend.

But Matito and her peers want the project on terms they understand and agree to. Kenya adopted regulations in May that require carbon project proponents to obtain the consent of the people whose land is in question. Northern Rangelands Trust has conceded that it needs to negotiate a new agreement with communities.

A fair deal is both possible and necessary. Carbon projects, like cows, ultimately depend on people. Unless national governments and standard-setting bodies adopt and enforce fundamental principles of carbon justice, the whole carbon enterprise will fail.


February 5, 2025 | Vivek Maru


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