Launch of the ATIBT carbon commission: making the link between forest operators and carbon market actors

The 31 participants included a wide range of stakeholders: producers, donors, professional associations, certification bodies and various experts, illustrating the complex nature of this issue. The meeting was held partly by videoconference and partly in person in Nogent-sur-Marne, allowing dynamic exchanges.

The discussions raised several crucial issues, often converging on a lack of access for forest operators to information, carbon financing and dialogue with carbon market actors. While operators would like to see sustainable management of tropical forests remunerated at its fair value, it is clear that the potential for carbon storage through SFM is not sufficient to be profitable on current carbon markets. Following these technical discussions, a general objective was identified: to serve as a bridge between forest operators and carbon market actors.

Six more detailed objectives were presented in an initial roadmap to address the overall objective:

1. Monitoring and understanding key carbon issues; disseminating information
2. Helping ATIBT members to assimilate these issues
3. Helping ATIBT members to take advantage of carbon mechanisms: financial, technical, commercial aspects
4. Reflecting on the articulation between climate policies at the national level (NDC, national carbon markets) and the ambitions of forest operators
5. Feeding the reflections that can be carried out within the other commissions (certification, marketing, forest-industry)
6. Identifying and monitoring initiatives and processes that may be complementary or in resonance with forest carbon

These objectives and the rules of the commission will be sent to the participants for non-objection by Coline Seyller (Terea), who managed this meeting on behalf of the ATIBT.

The minutes of this meeting are available to ATIBT members.