China Certified Emission Reduction Projects: Historical and Current Status, Development, and Future Prospects—Taking Forestry Projects as an Example

China has developed its own “CDM”, i.e., the China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) scheme. International carbon organizations and individuals are interested in the CCER mechanism. We searched “CCER” in the web of science and, unfortunately, found no previously published studies that provide a detailed description of CCER, especially CCER forestry projects. This paper reviews the history, development, and current status of the CCER forestry projects. We introduced the components of the CCER program, including the CCER methodology system, the CCER registration system, the CCER trading system, and DOEs. In addition, we further introduced the development process, including project design, project validation and registration, project implementation, project monitoring, emission reduction accounting, emission reduction verification, and registration. Recommendations are proposed, including expanding methodologies, incorporating advanced technologies, optimizing monitoring frameworks, and pursuing international collaboration. This study provides policy and technical guidance for the sustainable development of China’s forest carbon market.