Indigenous Leaders in Philippines Establish Landmark Carbon Project

Indigenous leaders in Palawan, Philippines have signed a landmark agreement for the country’s first locally owned forest carbon project. This initiative aims to stop deforestation by monetizing carbon credits from trees, thus providing financial incentives to preserve forests. The project will protect 39,000 hectares of forest, supporting local Indigenous communities and may inspire similar efforts around the world.

Indigenous leaders in Palawan, Philippines have signed a groundbreaking agreement to create the nation’s inaugural locally owned forest carbon project. This initiative aims to halt deforestation by assigning a monetary value to the carbon stored in trees, promoting the idea that forests are more valuable when preserved. The project involves the sale of carbon credits, which incentivizes keeping trees standing instead of cutting them down.

Further collaboration in this venture includes Conservation International and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, and it seeks to protect 39,000 hectares of forest within the vital Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape. This region is recognized as the Philippines’ last ecological frontier, essential for both biodiversity and the livelihoods of the local Indigenous population.

Approximately 12,000 Indigenous Filipinos depend on these forests for subsistence. Recent decades have seen a significant threat from illegal mining and logging activities, leading to the loss of over 20 percent of the area’s mangroves and forests, primarily due to mineral extraction, which poses risks to both the environment and the community’s way of life.

Research indicates that Indigenous Peoples are the most effective guardians of forest ecosystems. Panglima Norlito Silnay, a leader of the Pala’wan Indigenous group, articulated hopes for the project to be community-managed without external exploitation. This initiative may inspire similar Indigenous-led carbon projects globally, as recognized by Wilson Barbon of Conservation International’s Philippines program, who emphasized the importance of acknowledging Indigenous rights to carbon benefits.

Carbon trading in the Philippines remains in its developmental stages, with no formalized mechanism for selling carbon credits yet established. While debates surrounding the effectiveness of carbon credits are ongoing, Barbon expressed optimism regarding this project as a model for creating higher-value carbon credits, integrating biodiversity and community involvement. Next year, the initiative plans to generate revenue from carbon credits which will be reinvested into ongoing conservation efforts in the region.

The signing of this landmark carbon deal marks a significant step towards environmental conservation in the Philippines, particularly in empowering Indigenous communities. Through the establishment of a locally owned forest carbon project, the collaboration aims to protect vital forest ecosystems while providing economic benefits to the communities reliant on these natural resources. The implications of this initiative may extend globally, serving as a model for other Indigenous-led conservation projects in the future.

Original Source: www.conservation.org