Forest Notes- December 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on a year filled with milestones, challenges and progress in the fight for our planet’s future. In this final edition of Forest Notes for the year, we’re celebrating the transformative work being done across the globe to protect forests, safeguard biodiversity, support livelihoods, and combat climate change in partnership with communities

From groundbreaking research affirming the systemic integrity of REDD+ carbon crediting to inspiring stories of resilience and innovation, like the revitalization of Lake Mai Ndombe, the award-winning Jahoo Gibbon Camp, and the sustainable strides at Makira Natural Park, these achievements highlight the power of collaboration and community-driven action to drive real, measurable impact.

While the road ahead remains challenging, these stories remind us of what’s possible when we unite for a common purpose. Your commitment has been integral to this progress, and we’re honored to have you alongside us.?Together, we can continue this critical work and build a future where forests flourish and the communities who steward them thrive in strength and self-determination.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the year ahead.

New research: crediting from REDD+ projects systematically robust

A white paper published last week by researchers Joshua Tosteson and Maren Pauy from Everland and Ed Mitchard at Space Intelligence concludes that carbon crediting from REDD+ projects has been robust when assessed system-wide across its twenty-year history.??

The study compared the baseline forest loss projections of 45 REDD+ projects (developed before the projects began) to the actual forest loss that took place in the jurisdictions surrounding the projects after the projects began, over a twenty-year period (2002-2022). Together, the projects encompass 71% of the total area and 63% of the projected emissions reductions from all avoided unplanned deforestation (AUD, efforts to prevent deforestation that occurs opportunistically and irregularly, outside formal land-use plans) projects currently registered under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS, a globally recognized framework for certifying carbon emission reduction projects and ensuring their credibility and environmental integrity).

Researchers found:?

REDD+ project baseline forest loss predictions closely matched actual jurisdictional forest loss??

When aggregated globally and integrated over the twenty-year study period, REDD+ project baseline predictions of forest loss closely matched the actual forest loss which took place in the jurisdictions surrounding the projects. Using jurisdictional forest loss as a benchmark for the reasonable accuracy of project baselines this result indicates that historical carbon crediting has been robust at a system level.?

Forest loss rates in REDD+ project areas were ten times lower than in their surrounding jurisdictions??

Forest loss rates in REDD+ project areas were ten times lower than in their surrounding jurisdictions, even though the analysis assumed a high rate of leakage and incorporated that assumption into project area forest loss calculations.?

At a system level, historical project-level REDD+ crediting was essentially identical to what it would have been under a jurisdictional approach??

Project-level REDD+ crediting at a system level over the period of this study was essentially the same as it would have been had the projects been credited on the basis of actual forest loss in their surrounding jurisdictions (i.e., “nested ex post” crediting). This result indicates that historical REDD+ crediting under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard was effectively the same as it would have been under a highly accurate jurisdictional forest reference emissions level (FREL), allocated to projects on the basis of area.?

Everland CEO Joshua Tosteson?said of these results: “This comprehensive analysis provides clear evidence that the REDD+ mechanism has been systemically robust over its lifetime to date. As the REDD+ market transitions toward new crediting methodologies, this research strongly argues that the?“crisis of integrity”?surrounding REDD+ carbon crediting has largely been one of perception, not reality: The REDD+ mechanism has been remarkably effective, and REDD+ climate finance has delivered on its promise – even as it evolves to deliver on its full potential. This should help rebuild market confidence and inspire urgently-needed action now to make conservation a viable, dependable development path for forest communities around the world.”

Read the paper here

Milestone for Makira Natural Park: A Renewed Commitment to Conservation and Communities

Everland, alongside the Government of the Republic of Madagascar's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Makira Carbon Company (MCC), celebrated a historic milestone with the signing of pivotal agreements to sustainably finance the Makira Natural Park REDD+ project in Madagscar.

These agreements, supported by Rio Tinto Nature Solutions' $16 million commitment, will reignite the marketing of carbon credits from 2005 to 2013, establish a new reference scenario, and validate credits to March 2020. Revenues generated will directly support local communities through the Makira Community Carbon Fund, conserve Makira’s unique biodiversity, and strengthen Madagascar’s climate resilience.

Makira Natural Park, a vital 372,470-hectare rainforest, is home to exceptional biodiversity and provides livelihoods for over 90,000 people in 120 villages. Through this exemplary partnership, Everland reaffirms its dedication to protecting the world’s most important forests while empowering communities and advancing climate solutions.

Read more

Black Water: A community fights for survival against an unlikely culprit

Deep in the heart of the Congo Basin, the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project offers a lifeline to communities on the brink of collapse.

"Black Water" tells the poignant story of Lake Mai Ndombe (meaning "Black Water") in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—a once-thriving lake whose dwindling fish population now threatens the survival of local communities. Through breathtaking visuals and intimate storytelling, the short film unravels the unintended consequences of mosquito nets, repurposed as fishing tools, which have devastated the lake’s fragile ecosystem.

Yet amidst the crisis, a hopeful solution emerges. In collaboration with Wildlife Works, local communities are turning profits from carbon credits into sustainable fish nurseries. This innovative effort promises to restore balance to the lake and secure livelihoods for generations to come.

"Black Water" is a testament to the power of community-driven solutions, shining a light on the resilience of those determined to reclaim their future and protect the environment they call home.

Jahoo Gibbon Camp Wins Inaugural EXO Foundation Sustainability Award

The indigenous Bunong-managed Jahoo Gibbon Camp in Mondulkiri, Cambodia, has received the EXO Foundation Sustainability Award, winning the “Planet – Non-Profit/Social Enterprise” category and a $7,000 prize. Jahoo also earned the “People’s Choice” award with 441 global votes.

Home to the endangered yellow-cheeked gibbons, Jahoo is recognized for its innovative ecotourism model that supports conservation and local livelihoods. WCS Cambodia and the Ministry of Environment celebrated this milestone, highlighting the impact of partnerships like USAID Cambodia and the Keo Seima REDD+ project in expanding protected gibbon habitats and promoting sustainable community tourism.

Read more here