A growing body of research is reaffirming what leading carbon project developers already know: The social integrity of greenhouse gas programmes is as vital as their ecological performance. A new paper by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry places this principle at the core of what it defines as 'high integrity carbon’ (HIC) credits.
Joyful local community members hand-harvesting ripe coffee cherries on a sunlit African plantation. AI generated picture.
The report finds that while environmental standards have become increasingly uniform across the market, there is growing recognition that social safeguards—particularly for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs)—must be more than just a compliance checkpoint.
‘Do no harm should be considered as a minimum requirement that does not rise to the high ambition expected for high integrity’, the paper notes, signalling a shift towards more proactive, equity-driven engagement with local communities.
Read more: The social impact of DGB Group’s projects
High integrity, as defined by the report, means delivering both emissions reductions and meaningful, long-term benefits to people. It emphasises that the best carbon programmes already integrate these dual goals and that further alignment on tools and investment can scale this success more widely.
To support this, CIFOR outlines five recommendations aimed at strengthening social safeguards in carbon initiatives:
- Ensuring free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) throughout a project’s full duration.
- Moving beyond gender sensitivity to address systemic inequalities.
- Treating IPLC land and resource rights as a foundational condition for project participation.
- Designing benefit-sharing systems that go beyond land or carbon ownership models.
- Embedding grievance mechanisms that are culturally relevant, transparent, and accessible.
Crucially, the report encourages a mindset shift: one where carbon markets are not imposed as a solution for IPLCs to accommodate, but are designed inclusively, around their rights and contributions.
‘The implementation of these recommendations will also be challenged by governments treating jurisdictional programmes as if they were projects; programmes need to be fully integrated into jurisdictional governance’, CIFOR adds.
As carbon markets continue to evolve, the growing alignment around social excellence positions high-integrity programmes to lead the way—setting new standards that benefit both people and the planet.
Read more: UK to introduce regulated carbon removals into emissions market by 2029
As high-integrity carbon credits come to reflect not only ecological performance but also deep-rooted social value, the market is recognising what forward-thinking developers have championed all along: Real environmental initiatives uplift both planet and people. At DGB Group, our nature-based projects are built on that principle—combining measurable carbon removals with lasting benefits for local communities, from land rights recognition to equitable participation. In this new era of accountability and ambition, partnering with projects that lead on both social and environmental fronts is key. Discover how you can take part in shaping that future—starting today.
