Most people agree that communities should be better engaged and benefit more from ecosystem markets, but it is not clear how this should be done, or how local residents and communities might be compensated under a public funding model. We will discuss this in the event, ‘Carbon Finance – Community Benefits’.
Some of the themes in the event are:
Who are the greatest winners and losers likely to be, and how might those with least power shape and benefit from these markets, as part of a just transition to net zero?
If there is to be a role for private finance in this transition, how can high-integrity markets and regulation be designed to protect tenants, communities and the public interest?
Should rural communities be actively engaging in these markets, passively sharing profits from local schemes, or would they be better off without these markets at all?
Could a carbon emissions land tax fill the gap in public finances that markets are trying to plug?
Might a combination of new taxes and new markets be the only way to reach the tree planting and peatland restoration targets recommended by the UK Committee on Climate Change?