The Conflict-Sensitivity Gap: Evaluating Safeguards and Governance in Voluntary Carbon Markets through REDD+

Buket Altincelep, University of Massachusetts – Boston (Turkey)

This presentation examines the interplay between safeguard design, implementation, and conflict dynamics in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), using a multi-level governance and conflict-sensitivity lens. Focusing on REDD+ projects, it investigates how environmental and social safeguards—intended to prevent harm and ensure equity—can, when inadequately governed, exacerbate or generate social conflict, thereby undermining both climate mitigation and local peace. Through comparative case studies of the Kariba project in Zimbabwe and the Alto Mayo project in Peru, the research analyzes the implementation of Verra’s safeguards. The presentation argues that safeguarding in carbon markets is not merely a technical challenge but a critical governance issue with direct implications for environmental peacebuilding. The research aims to offer actionable insights for designing more conflict-sensitive carbon market policies that align with climate action.