This talk critically reexamines global carbon markets in light of COP29 outcomes and their implications for Indigenous rights. While meaningful mechanisms for transparent carbon trading and oversight were established, current Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) through carbon offset projects often perpetuate exclusionary conservation that restricts Indigenous livelihoods. Poorly designed offset projects, coupled with scientific limitations in large-scale carbon accounting and credit verification and oversight methodologies, risk exacerbating emissions under intensified warming conditions. Moreover, although intended to conserve forest lands, REDD+-type carbon offset programs have often led to land rights violations, loss of autonomy, and unequal benefit distribution among Indigenous communities. To address these challenges, this talk proposes a shift in perspective from market-driven conservation toward sustainable-use frameworks that integrate ecological disruptions (e.g., under global warming, forests’ carbon sequestration capacity declines while wildfire risks increase) and Indigenous rights. Satellite-based systems for monitoring the thermal and hydrological dynamics of forests are currently lacking but urgently needed to enhance accountability in carbon credit verification and to support adaptive mitigation strategies. Reframing carbon offset mechanisms from conservation toward satellite-based sustainable use can help secure Indigenous rights while fostering sustainable agricultural industries and improved forest management.
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Speaker
Dr. Ju Hyoung Lee
Research Fellow, Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Hydrology
