Identifying Research Priorities for the Development of High-Integrity Forest Carbon Credits
Abstract In the United States, voluntary carbon markets have gained significant traction in recent years. However, many offset standards, protocols, and credit ratings have come under scrutiny from the public and investors for failing to produce real or sustainable carbon offsets. Additionally, communities often find themselves unprepared to advocate for forest-based carbon projects that align with their needs and interests, mainly due to a lack of information and a general distrust surrounding carbon projects. There is a pressing need to address the social, ecological, and technological barriers that hinder the development of higher-integrity carbon credits and limit crucial financing for climate change mitigation activities. This paper is the culmination of findings from a series of discussions held in 2025 by leading academics, non-profit organizations, and forestry professionals to identify key challenges, research priorities, and actionable steps to scaling voluntary forest carbon markets. The discussions focused on six priority areas including permanence; additionality; leakage; measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV); market investments; and the social and ecological implications of carbon markets. By reporting on these discussions, we aim to strengthen conversations across forest carbon topics to enhance market access while simultaneously identifying needs for developing high-integrity forest carbon projects for climate change mitigation and rural communities.
Authors
- Kimberly A. Novick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8431-0879)
- David M. McEvoy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7466-3681)
- Stephanie Chizmar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9105-173X)
- Adam Daigneault (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8287-8727)
- Raju Pokharel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2245-6661)
- Daniel J. Hayes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3011-7934)
- Melissa M. Kreye (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8920-5368)
- John Gunn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3821-4827)
- Milagros Fernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9826-5052)
- William R. L. Anderegg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6551-3331)
- Ethan P. Belair (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4467-3736)
- Matthew D. Hurteau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8457-8974)
- Tamara Cushing (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2822-384X)
- Chad Papa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8260-8545)
- Tatyana B. Ruseva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4663-2674)
- Lilli Kaarakka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6972-4029)
- Christopher S. Galik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0356-1861)
- Tammy Kowalczyk
- Brent Sohngen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9094-160X)
- Barbara Haya
- Jason Gibson
- Evan Beresford
- Jake Stanton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1160-5850)
- Gregory Latta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1998-879X)
- Sarah Widderich
Institutions
- The Nature Conservancy (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- California Polytechnic State University (US)
- University of Idaho (US)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Weyerhaeuser (United States) (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- Southern Research Station (US)
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Appalachian State University (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- University of Maine (US)
- Michigan State University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Forestry
- Published
- 2026-09-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s44392-026-00111-x
- Primary Topic
- Forest Management and Policy
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00