Summary
This article examines the extent to which forest carbon standards mitigate against the potential negative social impacts of REDD projects through ensuring the rights of indigenous peoples (IP) are not undermined. The authors use the results of literature review to summarise the negative social impacts that REDD projects can have on indigenous communities, and establish framework to evaluate the policies and measures required to reduce these impacts. They go on to use this framework for the anlysis of forest carbon standards, finding in general, assessment of social impacts and subsequent provision for protection of IP's rights is minimal. Only half of the standards assessed require social impact monitoring throughout project implementation, or require IP's free, prior and informed consent. The authors conclude that REDD projects have the potential to improve livelihoods in forest communities, however the forest carbon standards designed for these projects need to include social principles and social impact monitoring in their methodologies, or collaborate with social forest carbon standards.