ERS acquires Equitable Earth:
‍what does it mean?

Equitable Earth is a groundbreaking forest conservation standard that integrates technical innovation and conservation best practices with the priorities of Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities, and governments, particularly in the Global South. Its core purpose is to stop forest loss and secure the long-term protection of the world’s vital ecosystems. By meeting market demands for high integrity, transparency, and robust science, Equitable Earth ensures that those leading the protection of forests receive the necessary investment to sustain durable conservation for generations to come.

The standard and methodology are designed to certify REDD+ projects. REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, with the “plus” referring to conservation, sustainable forest management, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. While restoring ecosystems is vital, REDD+ offers a complementary way to protect the forests we still have, transforming conservation into a credible climate solution. It supports communities who keep forests standing, helping to slow biodiversity loss, preserve cultural heritage, and reduce the impacts of climate change.

Equitable Earth was developed by a coalition founded by Everland, Forest Trends and Wildlife Works. The coalition brought together over 125 individuals from more than 60 organisations, including Indigenous leaders, conservation organisations, international development experts, technology professionals, and carbon scientists, to build a next-generation standard and methodology for forest conservation projects. 

The coalition developed Equitable Earth so that the voluntary carbon market (VCM) would evolve to address the priorities of Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities and governments. Their goal was to meet the urgent need to scale up investment and action to end deforestation, which is critical to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

Recognising that deforestation is an economic problem, yet only a fraction of climate finance reaches forest communities, the coalition set out to address this imbalance. Guided by years of consultation with communities, Equitable Earth is now uniquely positioned to serve the needs of forest stakeholders, on the ground and in the marketplace.

The founding coalition’s intention from the beginning was to ensure that Equitable Earth would be operated and governed independently. They are proud to have incubated the standard, and now to have found a mission-aligned partner to bring it to market.

It was acquired by ERS on an at-cost basis. The intent of the coalition was never to operationalise and manage this standard, nor to profit from it.

ERS’s mission has always been to restore and protect the natural world, with an initial focus on ecosystem restoration. In the face of rising global deforestation, protecting standing forests has never been more urgent. The voluntary carbon market plays a critical role in this effort. 

By acquiring Equitable Earth, we are entering the next chapter in our mission, advancing forest conservation projects. With an established methodology development process, access to the latest data and monitoring, and a deep commitment to scientific rigour, we believe we are uniquely positioned to build on the strong foundation laid by the Equitable Earth founding coalition. 

These contributions, grounded in community insight and technical expertise, will help us raise the bar for what high-integrity forest conservation looks like in the voluntary carbon market.

Not at all. Restoration remains a core pillar of our mission, and we recognise that protecting what remains is as urgent as restoring what’s been degraded. Operationally, ERS continues to support restoration projects through our approved methodology, which has already seen over 200 projects submitted. This acquisition represents an expansion of our mission, bringing the same scientific rigour, transparency and credibility we’ve applied to restoration into the realm of conservation.

We are leveraging Equitable Earth’s assets, its methodology for REDD+ projects, and its intellectual property, to accelerate our expansion into conservation.  This includes:

• Jurisdictionally-nested risk maps
• A new baseline allocation tool
• A quality and impact framework for  local communities
• Expanded rules and guidance on FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) rooted in best practices
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All future development will be done under the ERS Programme by applying our rigorous methodology development process and governance structures. Equitable Earth and its founding coalition will not retain ownership or personnel involvement moving forward.

Community-led REDD+ projects in countries where forests are particularly vulnerable will be eligible to use the Equitable Earth methodology.

The standard was developed to address the principles and criteria for the VCM, set forth by the Indigenous and local community members of the Peoples Forests Partnership.

A stakeholder consultation group with Indigenous leaders from several communities has advised the coalition throughout the development of the methodology, standard, and platform. Additionally, the coalition has been in consultation with the governments of the largest rainforest nations, to ensure the standard is designed to deliver against Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and other national and sub-national sustainable development goals.

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.

Yes. From the outset, Equitable Earth was shaped by the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and ERS is committed to continuing and deepening that approach. 

To ensure these perspectives remain integral to how the standard evolves, ERS will form a dedicated working group of Indigenous leaders to provide ongoing oversight. This group will contribute directly to our highest level of technical governance, the ERS Technical Advisory Board (TAB), which oversees all decisions related to methodology development.

Our goal is not only to reflect the priorities and perspectives of diverse stakeholders in the standard design, but to embed them meaningfully in the process of shaping it as it grows over time.

Yes. Projects that have not yet issued credits will be able to apply as soon as the standard is operational, and we will launch a pathway for projects that have already issued credits to apply in 2026.

Every project will have to undergo the full certification process.

Equitable Earth brings a suite of valuable assets that will enhance all three of ERS’s core pillars: carbon, ecological condition, and livelihoods. ERS will now build on this work, starting with technical review, followed by public consultation and refinement, and ultimately integration into the ERS Programme. Our intent is to release a REDD+ project methodology by the end of the year, and issue our first credits in 2026.

ERS will be accepting pilot projects in the coming months, and you can contact our External Relations team at info@ers.org.