It was an honour to contribute to the FAO panel on carbon markets last week — my heartfelt thanks to the organisers for curating such a thoughtful and timely dialogue.

I walked away deeply encouraged. There is growing alignment on a crucial idea: that carbon finance must serve communities, not extract from them.

At Carbon Registry India, we’re not here to just count carbon. We’re building the rules of engagement—ensuring that when the credits come, they reflect trust, justice, and resilience.

Resilience first. Carbon second.

Our governance frameworks are people-first by design—enabling collective ownership through institutions like FPOs, SHGs, and panchayats. Local consent, transparency, and benefit-sharing are non-negotiable compliance requirements, not box-ticking.

We’ve embedded land and food safeguards directly into the registry’s operating principles—mandating strict compliance to ensure projects do not undermine dietary diversity, food access, or cropping patterns.

Each credit will carry co-benefit signals — from biodiversity and gender equity to climate adaptation — verified through digital MRV, remote sensing, and field validation. Environmental and social integrity are not aspirational; they’re baseline.

Everything we do is aligned with national policies and public programmes — building a registry that strengthens, not sidelines, existing systems and schemes.

And I’m grateful to stand alongside partners like the Association of the Indian Organic Industry (AIOI) — advancing a shared vision where carbon finance supports regenerative agriculture and just transitions.

It was a joy to meet so many at the FAO panel who are not just aligned in principle but actively working toward carbon markets that are equitable, accountable, and truly transformative.