Study finds most forest carbon projects have mixed or negative ecological impact

A new study published in Nature Climate Change by researchers from Nanyang Technological University and the World Bank found that most forest carbon projects have 'mixed, negligible or negative impacts' on ecological integrity. Evaluating 133 projects against control areas using five ecological indicators, the study revealed that only nine projects (8%) showed positive effects across all indicators. 19 projects (16%) demonstrated 'poorer ecological conditions than the surrounding unprotected forests'. The findings suggest that the carbon-centric design of current accounting frameworks often prioritises carbon storage over ecological integrity, with inconsistent overall performance.