21 September 2023, New York – Today the Equitable Earth Coalition is pleased to welcome Global Citizen, a leading international advocacy organization, as the first signatory to support its plans to mobilize $1 billion of corporate finance for community-centered forest conservation projects via Equitable Earth’s new carbon market standard and platform.

The news was announced during the Global Citizen NOW: Climate Sessions by Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen’s Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Relations Officer who remarked,

“The world’s guardians, those at the forefront of protecting Mother Nature and providing a global public benefit to us all, require solidarity. Through this new initiative, companies can seize the moment to contribute more finance directly to these communities, partnering with them to achieve sustainable development and address deforestation and biodiversity loss.”

“We are at the beginning of a new chapter for the voluntary carbon market,” said Beto Borges, Director of the Forest Trends Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative and Chair of the Equitable Earth Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities (IPLCs) Advisory Group. “With Global Citizen’s support, the Equitable Earth Coalition will deliver global investment to IPLCs and Global South governments, as they hold the key to reducing emissions from deforestation. Millions of people depend on forests and need attractive economic alternatives to be able to keep their forests intact. And climate mitigation in one place benefits everyone. There are no borders in the atmosphere.”

The Coalition welcomes advanced purchase commitments to demonstrate upfront buyers’ demand for Equitable Earth projects that will be:

• Developed in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), with an aim of delivering transformative finance directly to communities to fund their own development ambitions.
• Founded on transparency, robust science and rigorous due diligence, a standardised approach to measuring carbon, societal and biodiversity impacts, and best practices for IPLC ownership and inclusion.
• Holistic by driving investment both to stop deforestation, and to restore and steward forest ecosystems.
• Designed to nest into national forest carbon programs that contribute to global climate commitments.

Further announcements are planned later this year.

Notes to editors

Media contact: info@eq-earth.com

About the Equitable Earth Coalition

Equitable Earth is a coalition of leaders committed to delivering a compelling new voluntary carbon market standard and platform to end deforestation and biodiversity loss in equitable partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities and Global South countries.

For further information, visit eq-earth.com