Coalition launched to scale up jurisdictional forest carbon credits

A group of governments, Indigenous Peoples, investors and carbon market participants have launched a coalition to scale up jurisdictional forest carbon credits.

Announced today at COP30, the coalition aims to accelerate action and finance for forests by generating carbon credits at jurisdictional levels – an approach seen as higher integrity than individual forest projects developed by private companies or NGOs.

Coalition members include the Congo, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Norway, Singapore, the UK, Grupo Perú de Pueblos Indigenas, National Toshaos Council, The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), C-TREES, Conservation International, The Earth Innovation Institute, Emergent, The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), Silvania, South Pole, Terra Global Capital, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), UN-REDD Programme, Verra, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Woodwell Climate Research. 

Boosting demand for J-REDD+ credits

Together, they have committed to deliver measurable environmental, economic, and social benefits while respecting social and environmental safeguards through high-integrity jurisdictional forest (J-REDD+) programmes in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and with local communities. They will also ensure the inclusion of the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and of local communities, and respect for their self-determination, mobilise upfront finance and technical support to accelerate credit issuance, and boost high-integrity demand for J-REDD+ credits.

“Jurisdictional REDD+ works. UNREDD, the World Bank’s FCPF and other initiatives have helped countries to build capacity and receive first payments. The LEAF Coalition has catalysed a private sector market and now we’re starting to see other buyers take real interest. We are proud to be a member of the new Scaling J-REDD Coalition+, which can bring together all the right parties to address the remaining blockers and help us reach scale and impact for forests, people and climate,” said Eron Bloomgarden, CEO of Emergent.

Recent Brazil deal with LEAF Coalition

Emergent and the LEAF Coalition coordinated the US$180mn forest carbon credit deal between the Brazil government and a group of corporate buyers including Amazon, H&M and Walmart last year. Initially hailed as a sign of growing demand for jurisdictional carbon credits, the agreement was later attacked by Brazil’s Federal Prosecution Office, which is seeking its cancellation for not getting the free, prior and informed consent of local Indigenous communities.

The coalition will now deepen collaboration, align integrity standards, and coordinate efforts across supply and demand to unlock large-scale investment in forests: upcoming actions include the launch of ART’s Beyond Carbon Benefits Certification, the implementation of new J-REDD+ programmes under the World Bank’s Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions (SCALE) partnership, and additional Article 6 & CORSIA trades featuring nature-based credits. 

“This coalition comes together at a time when the need to deliver just and equitable forest finance has never been more urgent.  Launching this collaboration at COP30 near the heart of the Amazon recognizes the integral role that Indigenous Peoples and local communities have as longtime stewards of carbon-critical lands. The Scaling J-REDD+ Coalition creates an opportunity to increase connections between governments, the private sector, and communities to accelerate the protection of forests and, with that, the delivery of benefits directly to these communities – at the scale needed to fully realise nature’s contributions to climate action,” added Daniela Raik, Interim CEO, Conservation International.