ERS Acquires Equitable Earth to Advance High-Quality Community-led Forest Conservation Projects

Ecosystem Restoration Standard (ERS), an ICVCM approved carbon standard focused on nature-based solutions, today announced the acquisition of Equitable Earth — a pioneering forest carbon standard that integrates technical innovation and conservation best practices with the priorities of Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities and governments, particularly in the Global South.

Equitable Earth is designed to halt deforestation and secure the long-term protection of the world’s forests by ensuring fair and meaningful investment in the people and communities who safeguard them. The standard was developed by a coalition of over 125 individuals representing more than 60 organisations, which included technical and market experts working in close partnership with Indigenous and traditional community leaders.

Today’s acquisition by ERS represents the achievement of the coalition’s goal to ensure that Equitable Earth would be operated as a fully independent, high-integrity, community-rooted initiative to catalyse a new era for the voluntary carbon market, built on principles defined by Indigenous and traditional community leaders and brought to life by some of the world’s most experienced REDD+ practitioners.

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"For too long decisions about our forests have been made without us, but Equitable Earth can help change that. As we worked to develop it, I came to see that this is more than just a carbon standard, it’s a tool for climate justice. Equitable Earth has the potential to channel unprecedented financing to forest communities: investments in our cultures and sovereignty that recognize our role as stewards of the world’s critical forest ecosystems. Now with ERS, we have a partner to help make this vision reality," said Francisca Arara, Extraordinary Secretary for Indigenous Peoples in the State of Acre, Brazil; President of the Regional Committee for Brazil of the Governors Climate and Forests Task Force; Member of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Guidance Council, Equitable Earth Coalition.

"From the beginning, Equitable Earth was built on the conviction that Indigenous and traditional communities must be co-creators of credible and just solutions to halt deforestation, and that private finance must align with their leadership, rights and ancestral knowledge. In ERS, we found a partner that shares this belief and brings the technical infrastructure, governance and operational capacity to take the standard forward. Guided by years of consultation with communities, we’re proud to have incubated Equitable Earth. We now hand it over with confidence that ERS will bring the standard to market while ensuring the priorities of forest communities remain at its center," said Beto Borges, Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative at Forest Trends, and Chair of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Guidance Council for the Equitable Earth Coalition.

"The acquisition of Equitable Earth significantly expands our mission, moving beyond restoration to urgently protect standing forests, critical carbon sinks, and the cultural heritage they hold. By applying the highest levels of transparency and scientific rigour, we will deliver a trusted standard for high-quality REDD+ credits that the market can rely on," said Thibault Sorret, CEO at ERS. "Last year’s 80% increase in tropical primary forest loss is a stark warning: protecting the world’s forests can no longer wait. This acquisition allows ERS to meet that urgency, halt forest loss, and accelerate a clear path forward for REDD+ project developers."

The importance of this community-centric approach was underscored by Dayanne Tenharim, President of APITEM, who stated, "As an indigenous leader of a community that is considering using REDD+ to bring conservation revenues to our territory, I am happy to see Equitable Earth moving forward. It was clear from the consultation workshop I attended that the platform is being built with integrity and based on the voices and priorities of indigenous communities and traditional communities, who are on the front lines and are the first to feel the negative impacts of human actions."

Adding to this perspective, Maricar Yawanawa, from Associação Sociocultural Yawanawa, shared, "I’m pleased to see the development of this new standard that finally takes the needs and rights of Indigenous territories seriously. It was meaningful to be part of the consultation process, which showed real commitment to community-led solutions."

About the Acquisition

ERS has taken full ownership of Equitable Earth’s assets, intellectual property, and methodologies. This includes the principles, technical framework, and stakeholder consultation outputs shaped through engagement with Indigenous leaders and local communities.

Building on that strong foundation, ERS is bringing Equitable Earth to market, ensuring that it remains scientifically rigorous, practical, and scalable. This process will start with a technical review, followed by public consultation and refinement, and ultimately integration into the ERS Programme.

The methodology will be grounded in ERS’s three core pillars: ecological condition, carbon, and livelihoods. Moreover, it will encompass:

• Centralised carbon accounting: Standardised carbon quantification by ERS with nested baselines that include both deforestation and degradation and annual monitoring based on the latest scientific data.
• Integrated platform and data innovation: Leveraging state-of-the-art remote sensing, data modelling, and digital-first processes to enhance accuracy and enable streamlined certification and monitoring.
• Avoidance and removal credits: Inclusion of emission reductions from avoided deforestation, and carbon removals from forest growth exceeding that of comparable areas.
• Ongoing consultation with Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs): A dedicated working group of Indigenous leaders will provide ongoing oversight, and ensure their leadership, values, and priorities are embedded at every stage of project design and governance.
• Industry-leading safeguards for equity and justice: Robust grievance redress mechanism, Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) consultation requirements at multiple stages during the project lifecycle, and revenue transparency consistent with established ERS policies and procedures.
• Ecosystem monitoring: Regular monitoring and reporting of physical composition, species composition, structural diversity, and ecosystem function.
• Adaptive management: Embedding a continuous improvement framework to integrate the latest science, respond to local feedback, and strengthen outcomes over time.

Active discussions are already underway with several of the largest rainforest nations to align the standard with national development priorities and accelerate on-the ground implementation.

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