The Carbon Rights Of Indigenous Peoples Afro-Descendant Peoples And Local Communities In Tropical And Subtropical Lands And Forests
Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)
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Abstract: This report assesses legal recognition of carbon rights across 33 tropical and subtropical nations, with emphasis on Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities. Using four legal domains?tenure, carbon trading, REDD+ safeguards, and due process?it exposes gaps in enforceable rights and benefit-sharing structures. The ?Depth of Rights? framework shows that most surveyed countries fail to grant collective ownership of carbon assets. Kenya?s Northern Rangeland Trust case illustrates early-stage contracting without tenure clarity. Case studies from Liberia, Colombia, and Indonesia reveal similar displacements and financial opacity. The report outlines legislative templates for jurisdictional carbon markets, grievance mechanisms, and FPIC enforcement. It warns against the expansion of carbon monetization without correcting tenure and equity frameworks, risking climate finance exclusion for frontline communities and undermining environmental integrity.