4.0 Carbon Rights and Land Tenure – What does it mean, and why is it key to national rules

Carbon projects impact vast areas of land, much of which is currently managed by communities with insecure or informal tenure rights. In Africa and Asia where carbon markets are expanding quickly, nearly 80% of the land managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities is through informal tenure regimes that are not formally recognized by national governments. 

This session will focus on understanding carbon rights and land tenure and why these are important to national power. 

Begin by watching the video below that highlights research from the Rights and Resources Initiative and McGill University about the trends between carbon rights and land tenure in forest rich countries. 

Read this short overview of Why Land Matters in Carbon Markets. This was drafted for policy makers during COP29, but it gives a short summary of the connections between land and carbon. To keep learning, you can also read the full research Teresa mentioned here.

Discussion board

How do you see land rights relating to carbon projects in your countries? What complications are coming up? Please share your comment below