Insight: Navigating the Imperfect World of Carbon Offsetting – First 30×30 Canada

March 13, 2026

A reflection on how we work within flawed systems to support Indigenous leadership, conservation, and sovereignty.

Facing the Hard Truth

Much of our work at Nature For Justice intersects with carbon offsetting and the broader nature-finance market. It is a space full of tension. Carbon markets have the potential to mobilize significant resources for conservation and Indigenous stewardship, yet they have also produced harm when poorly designed or implemented. Globally, these spaces have historically been rife with predatory developers, inequitable benefit-sharing with local communities, and systemic barriers that prevent Nations and other Indigenous governments from fully benefiting from conservation finance. We have been vocal about these issues, and Indigenous leaders worldwide have highlighted the risks of poorly designed carbon projects that misrepresent conservation outcomes or displace Indigenous People.

Read More: https://first30x30.earth/insight-navigating-the-imperfect-world-of-carbon-offsetting/