Scientists are debating whether to relax additionality rules in carbon markets to reward Indigenous communities for longstanding land stewardship. While the goal is equity, critics argue that issuing credits for forests that were never at risk of deforestation undermines the core purpose of carbon offsets. This tension highlights a critical choice in climate policy: maintaining strict accounting to ensure real emission reductions or creating new financial mechanisms, such as green bonds and direct grants, to support conservation without compromising market integrity.
