SEDA Land Carbon Finance 1: Community Benefits

Nature markets are here to stay, whether we like it or not. Contrary to much current opinion, such markets, which include carbon markets, biodiversity markets, and other emerging ecosystem markets, don’t have to be negative. With the right checks and balances they can open up opportunities for communities who may feel threatened by them. This is something SEDA Land will be exploring in two events: Carbon Finance – COMMUNITY BENEFITS and GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT.

The first conversation: 'Carbon Finance – Community Benefits’, will start by looking at communities and how they may be affected. Most people agree that communities should be better engaged and benefit more from ecosystem markets, but it is not clear how this should be done, or how local residents and communities might be compensated under a public funding model. Join us to discuss how this could be done at this event.

There are growing concerns about the impact of private investment on land prices, tenant farmers and local communities. Henry Leveson-Gower will advocate a cooperative approach as a mechanism through which multiple interests can collaborate to deliver conservation benefits at landscape scale which could benefit small rural communities, crofters or other smallholders. We will discuss who are the greatest winners and losers are likely to be, and how might those with least power shape and benefit from these markets, as part of a just transition to net zero. Should rural communities be actively engaging in these markets, passively sharing profits from local schemes, or would they be better off without these markets at all?