In a commentary for Mongabay, Pati Ruiz Corzo, co-founder of Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda (GESG), examines the challenges facing voluntary carbon markets and their ability to deliver genuine climate benefits, protect biodiversity and support communities in the Global South.
Drawing on decades of community-led conservation in Mexico’s Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, she argues that effective forest carbon finance must go beyond carbon accounting. Transparent carbon measurement, fair payments to landowners and investment in rural livelihoods are essential to making forest conservation economically viable for the people who protect it.
Through Carbono Biodiverso, GESG demonstrates how a locally developed carbon protocol can connect carbon finance with natural forest regeneration, biodiversity protection and sustainable community development. The commentary calls for a more inclusive and transparent approach to carbon markets, where local landowners and communities are the primary beneficiaries of the value their forests provide.
Read the full article on Mongabay →
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