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		Climate Change Climate Change and Global Warming What's New The Impacts of Climate Change Climate Change and Biodiversity: An Interactive Map What You Can Do:   Carbon Footprint Calculator Offset Your Emissions   Contribute Now   Contribute Monthly   Climate-Saving Tips   Get the Facts   Take a Quiz   Get our e-Newsletter   Donate now What We Do:   Stop Deforestation   Adapt to Impacts   Support Policy Where We Work on Climate Change Contact Us Press Releases Tell us what you think about climate change

Our Policy by Issue Emissions reductions Forest carbon Adaptation Our Policy Engagement International Federal State and regional The Bali Climate Change Conference See how the Conservancy helped frame  the global discussion that will lay the groundwork for the next international agreement to address climate change. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Read more on why The Nature Conservancy helped launch the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. Go Deeper Holding Forests to a Higher Standard The Nature Conservancy is demonstrating that forest projects designed to mitigate climate change can represent real, parmanent and verifiable emissions reductions. Projects that Make a Difference From Belize to China, the Conservancy is conducting research around the world to measure the amount of carbon captured by forests. We Want to Hear from You Tell us what you think about our climate change work. What national or international policies should be implemented to fight climate change?

The Nature Conservancy is working towards policies that create strong incentives at home and abroad for forest activities that reduce or absorb carbon emissions.

The loss of forests and other land use changes contribute about one-fifth of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released into Earth’s atmosphere each year. Forest protection, restoration and sustainable forest management is a necessary and important part of any comprehensive approach to decreasing atmospheric CO2 levels and reducing the impacts of climate change.

Common Goals for Forest Carbon

To make emissions reductions from forest carbon an integral part of a climate change solution, the Conservancy urges policymakers at the state, federal, and international levels to:

• Include credits for forest protection, reforestation, and sustainable forest management in U.S. and international carbon markets
• Ensure that forest carbon credits are of high quality and represent real, permanent and verifiable emissions reductions, with reliable measuring and monitoring and appropriate accounting for leakage
• Adopt forest credits that are interchangeable with credits from emission reduction activities in other sectors
• Assure “early action” credits for qualifying activities taken prior to the start date of any applicable cap-and-trade program.

A Credible and Critical Climate Change Solution

Forest carbon is an effective, feasible, and important part of an overall solution to climate change.  To help catalyze carbon markets and financial incentives for conserving or restoring forests, The Nature Conservancy works with partners to advance understanding of this issue and to demonstrate that forest carbon programs and activities can be implemented successfully to mitigate climate change, conserve forests and improve livelihoods.

 

With your help, we can reduce the impacts of climate change on our lives, on our environment and on future generations.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo ©  Mark Godfrey © The Nature Conservancy (cloud forest); Photo ©  Mark Godfrey © The Nature Conservancy (tree planting in Chiapas, Mexico).