Forest Trends

Forest Trends
Name	Forest Trends
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1999
Founders	Michael Jenkins
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Focus	Sustainable land use, ecosystem services, carbon markets, biodiversity finance

Forest Trends is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing sustainable land use, ecosystem services, and market-based approaches to forest conservation. It works at the intersection of environmental finance, policy, and community engagement to influence international initiatives and national programs. Forest Trends engages with a spectrum of actors, including multilateral institutions, private-sector firms, indigenous organizations, and conservation NGOs to pilot mechanisms that link conservation outcomes to financial incentives.

History

Forest Trends was founded in 1999 by Michael Jenkins amid growing global attention to deforestation and climate change. Early activities intersected with international negotiations such as the Kyoto Protocol talks and initiatives within the World Bank and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). During the 2000s it expanded its work alongside programs like the Clean Development Mechanism and dialogues connected to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Forest Trends’ timelines overlap with prominent conservation milestones such as the establishment of the REDD concept and the launch of carbon market mechanisms in regions including California and the European Union.

Through the 2010s the organization contributed to policy debates connected to the Paris Agreement and the scaling of payments for ecosystem services modeled in projects in the Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, and countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia. Its evolution paralleled work by institutions like the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund. Senior staff and affiliated researchers have participated in fora such as the World Economic Forum and panels convened by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Mission and Programs

Forest Trends’ mission emphasizes aligning financial incentives with conservation outcomes, particularly via mechanisms for carbon, water, and biodiversity finance. Programmatic areas have included carbon markets, ecosystem service valuation, community and indigenous rights, and private-sector supply chain interventions. Programmatic work connects with actors like the World Resources Institute, Conservation International, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and networks including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Specific program strands have targeted market instruments such as voluntary carbon credits influencing trade participants like Microsoft, BP, and Amazon (company), as well as government procurement policies in jurisdictions like California and nations participating in mechanisms under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Related activities include research and data services that intersect with academic partners such as Yale University, Stanford University, and Oxford University.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Forest Trends operates with a leadership team, research staff, and regional program directors, and maintains advisory councils composed of representatives from philanthropy, finance, and civil society. The founder, Michael Jenkins, has served in executive roles and the organization has engaged with senior fellows and external advisors drawn from institutions including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and various ministries of environment.

Funding sources comprise philanthropic foundations, bilateral development agencies, corporate partnerships, and project-based grants. Major philanthropic partners have included entities like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. Development finance engagement has involved agencies such as USAID and multilateral donors including the Asian Development Bank. Commercial collaborations have been formed with trading houses, banks, and technology firms operating in carbon and commodity supply chains, often in consultation with legal advisers from firms acquainted with New York Stock Exchange-listed clients.

Key Initiatives and Projects

Key initiatives have spanned creation of market standards, data platforms, and pilot payment schemes. Forest Trends has developed market analyses and played roles in advancing standards used by carbon registries and exchanges influenced by operators like the Chicago Climate Exchange and registries that interface with entities such as Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard projects. Projects have included water funds and watershed payment pilots connected to municipal utilities in cities like Quito and Lima, and biodiversity finance pilots in biodiversity hotspots such as the Cerrado and Madagascar.

Its tracking and analytics work produced reports informing investors, NGOs, and policy-makers, often cited in studies by the International Finance Corporation and reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Forest Trends has also supported tenure recognition efforts in collaboration with indigenous networks like the Forest Peoples Programme and regional organizations such as the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Forest Trends maintains partnerships across sectors: multilateral institutions like the United Nations Development Programme, conservation NGOs including WWF, corporate entities in forestry and agriculture, and philanthropic funders. Collaborative efforts have tied into supply-chain initiatives with firms participating in platforms such as the Consumer Goods Forum and commodity roundtables like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Round Table on Responsible Soy.

Academic collaborations have involved research centers at Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley, while legal and policy partnerships have engaged law schools and policy institutes including the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Regional collaborations have included governments and ministries in nations across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, often coordinating with national agencies and regional development banks.

Impact and Criticism

Forest Trends has contributed to shaping discourse on market-based conservation, influencing corporate commitments and informing policy design for payments for ecosystem services and carbon finance. Its data products and policy briefs are frequently used by practitioners, investors, and negotiators in forums such as UNFCCC stocktakes and multilateral development consultations.

Criticism has arisen from indigenous rights advocates and environmental NGOs concerning reliance on market mechanisms and the potential for commodification of nature, echoing debates involving organizations like Friends of the Earth and scholars critiquing carbon offset frameworks. Concerns also focus on transparency, measurement, permanence of carbon credits, and equitable benefit-sharing highlighted in critiques by researchers affiliated with institutions like Rutgers University and community groups represented through networks such as the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.

Category:Non-profit environmental organizations