Narratives of legitimacy in carbon forestry: a political ecology perspective

Forests are central to climate change mitigation, driving a surge in afforestation, reforestation, and averted deforestation projects. Involving a range of actors, these initiatives reflect the rising influence of non-state entities in forest governance. Although often presented as delivering economic, environmental, and social benefits, carbon forestry projects frequently overlook local land rights, leading to displacement and disrupted livelihoods. This study uses discourse analysis of project-related documentation to examine how such initiatives are legitimized across three country cases, despite their adverse impacts on Indigenous and local communities. It reveals how dominant narratives obscure socio-economic tradeoffs and frame environmental and social goals as inherently aligned–when in practice, they often conflict. The paper argues that structural features of the carbon offset market constrain the potential for just outcomes, contributing to broader debates on climate justice and the need to re-centre environmental governance around the rights and voices of affected communities.