The Untapped Potential of Great Green Wall Voluntary Carbon Market Projects 2024

2.4 Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities Historically, some Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have been excluded from decision-making and from sharing the benefits of carbon projects. Projects have often lacked meaningful engagement or fair benefit-sharing, with communities side-lined and in some cases even evicted from the lands they had farmed or accessed for natural resources for generations.41 Risk mitigation: High-integrity projects incorporate “free, prior and informed consent,” ensuring communities are consulted and involved in project design and implementation. Benefit-sharing mechanisms provide direct financial returns, employment and capacity-building, making local communities primary beneficiaries and ensuring sustained benefits over time (for example through an equity share in the credits generated). This not only ensures inclusion but improves the likely permanence of voluntary carbon market activities.Various civil society groups are dedicated to empowering IPLCs. One such group, Namati, based in the US and operating in Sierre Leone, has convened the Grassroots Justice Network to empower communities through greater knowledge of law and justice, including the rights of communities in relation to carbon credits. This knowledge can help ensure that carbon projects are implemented with integrity, where communities are empowered as decision-makers over their land and equipped to negotiate fair pricing, while maintaining access to resources and sustainable land practices. This people-centred approach protects communal lands and access while delivering significant co- benefits. The network now numbers more than 2,400 groups from 160 countries – with 1,115 members belonging to countries in the Sahel.42 High-integrity projects incorporate “free, prior and informed consent,” ensuring communities are consulted and involved in project design and implementation. Image credit: Tree Aid 16 The Untapped Potential of Great Green Wall Voluntary Carbon Market Projects