The Global Carbon Council (GCC) and the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the development of nature-based climate solutions and strengthen the environmental integrity of carbon markets.

The partnership joins GCC, which is a global carbon credit certification organization based out of the Global South, with CIFOR-ICRAF, a forestry and agroforestry research institution working across over 90 countries. The partnership has been formed to facilitate the execution of science-based climate projects as well as climate financing initiatives.

This collaboration comes at a time when funding for environment protection continue to be much lower than funding for those activities that damage the environment. According to the UNEP report State of Finance for Nature in 2026,US$220 billion was invested in nature-based initiatives in 2023, while nature-negative activities received about US$7.3 trillion.

Using the strengths of the GCC and the scientific knowledge of CIFOR-ICRAF, the collaboration between both entities intends to focus on activities that involve international engagement and discussion on matters pertaining to carbon trading and natural solutions.

Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GCC, said, “The objective is to build the transparency and technical assurance essential for both public and private sectors to invest confidently in the planet’s natural capital.”

CIFOR-ICRAF Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eliane Ubalijoro said, “This collaboration underscores the contribution of science and solutions from the Global South in shaping the future of carbon markets, across terrestrial and coastal wetland ecosystems, including peatlands and mangroves.”

Under the agreement, the two organisations will collaborate on policy dialogue, technical assistance, capacity development and knowledge sharing. The partnership will also support governments, project developers and private sector participants seeking to engage in voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

One such major area will be in exploring the scope for implementing nature-based approaches in areas where there is an intersection between climate risk and development challenges. This will involve the partnering organizations collaborating with universities and other regional players to implement projects that contribute both to climate mitigation and other gains.

This agreement also facilitates the process of information exchange for the development of systems and approaches that will allow monitoring of carbon-related projects. The goal here is to use science-based approaches that could produce tangible results for communities and ecosystems in terms of addressing climate change problems.

CIFOR-ICRAF's work covers agroforestry, landscape restoration, sustainable food systems, and biodiversity conservation. This partnership between the two institutions aims to help address climate change challenges in an effort to protect the environment, facilitate sustainable development, and achieve climate goals.