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The role of improved forest management for carbon dioxide removal

The role of improved forest management for carbon dioxide removal

The role of improved forest management for carbon dioxide removal

The role of improved forest management for carbon dioxide removal

How high-quality forest management practices support carbon removal and local impact

Carbon Reduction

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Carbon Reduction

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Carbon Reduction

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Carbon Removal

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Carbon Removal

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Carbon Removal

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4 min. read

Improved forest management (IFM) practices in a forest for carbon removal
Improved forest management (IFM) practices in a forest for carbon removal
Improved forest management (IFM) practices in a forest for carbon removal

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        Last updated Jun 23, 2025

        Key takeaways

        • Improved forest management (IFM) increases measurable long-term carbon storage in living trees and durable wood products.

        • At the same time, they can provide strong social and ecological co-benefits.

        • IFM projects like the ones developed by Weyerhaeuser and the Indigenous community of Petcacab in collaboration with Carbon Direct, show how IFM practices can align climate goals with social and environmental benefits.

        Forests are climate solutions if we manage them wisely

        Forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but they need to be thoughtfully managed to keep doing so. As buyers look to scale carbon removal, improved forest management (IFM) is gaining traction in the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

        IFM focuses on enhancing how existing forests are managed to increase carbon storage over time. It’s a nature-based solution that supports climate outcomes, community livelihoods, and environmental benefits when done well.

        This piece explains how IFM works, what makes a project high-quality, and how real-world IFM projects like those developed by Weyerhaeuser and Petcacab in collaboration with Carbon Direct are delivering credible results for buyers and local communities alike.

        What is improved forest management?

        Improved forest management is a catch-all phrase that describes management techniques that decrease emissions from forests or increase carbon removal and storage. Some management techniques, like transitioning a working forest to a conserved status, decrease emissions from forest harvest and primarily create credits for avoided emissions. Other management techniques, like harvesting forests less frequently, can lead to greater carbon removal and storage over time and create credits for additional carbon removal. 

        Examples of IFM practices

        • Extending harvest rotations to allow more carbon accumulation

        • Reducing the impact of logging on soil and surrounding trees

        • Managing fire and pest risks to enhance forest health

        • Transitioning some of a forest to conservation status

        These strategies help forest carbon stocks grow beyond business-as-usual baselines. In carbon markets, IFM can generate carbon removal or avoided emissions credits, depending on the project's design and carbon accounting methodology.

        What makes a high-quality IFM carbon removal credit?

        Buyers today face increased scrutiny around carbon credit quality. In this context, IFM projects must go beyond basic registry standards to demonstrate climate integrity and social and environmental benefits. 

        Carbon Direct developed the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal, an annual report published in collaboration with Microsoft to establish science-backed quality standards. This includes six core principles that define high-quality carbon removal, all of which apply to IFM projects: 

        • Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice - The extent to which the project prevents new social harms to people and communities, reduces existing harms, and provides meaningful benefits distribution. Since IFM projects take place in communities around the world, benefits will naturally vary from project to project.  

        • Environmental harms and benefits - The extent to which the project minimizes and mitigates environmental harms, as well as provides environmental benefits. Because IFM projects enhance management practices, environmental co-benefits of high-quality IFM projects are usually substantial.

        • Additionality and baselines – Evidence that the project’s carbon removal would not have occurred without carbon finance. Many IFM projects fail to present compelling additionality data and narratives. High-quality projects will be able to identify the actions the project took to increase carbon storage that would not have happened without carbon finance. 

        • Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) – The ability to accurately quantify carbon removal in a repeatable and verifiable way, and to develop a plan for long-term monitoring of the project. IFM projects must have robust forest inventory, growth modeling, and occasional remeasurement to verify the additional carbon storage. 

        • Durability – The likelihood that removed carbon remains stored over time, with mechanisms in place to mitigate reversal risk. Enhanced management of fire, pests, and disease in IFM projects can enhance forest carbon durability. 

        • Leakage – Evaluation of whether project activities cause increased emissions elsewhere. If IFM projects substantially reduce timber supply, it may be fulfilled with harvest in another forest, mitigating some of the climate impacts of the project. High-quality IFM projects will either minimize the reduction in forest harvest or properly account for leakage by creating fewer credits. 

        Carbon Direct uses these criteria as part of our diligence framework when advising buyers evaluating projects and co-developing our own projects.

        Report

        2024 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal

        Learn the latest science-backed guidance for evaluating and advancing high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

        Report

        2024 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal

        Learn the latest science-backed guidance for evaluating and advancing high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

        Report

        2024 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal

        Learn the latest science-backed guidance for evaluating and advancing high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

        IFM projects delivering real impact

        Weyerhaeuser: Applying science at scale

        Weyerhaeuser, one of the largest forest owners in North America, is applying improved forest management practices across over 200,000 acres of working forests.

        The IFM projects led by Weyerhaeuser are located in rural areas in the US, with low wildfire risk. These IFM projects sequester carbon by extending harvest rotations and forgoing harvest in established streamside management zones. 

        Carbon Direct supported Weyerhaeuser with hands-on scientific collaboration to confirm that every IFM project met the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal. 

        Why it matters to buyers:

        • High-quality climate impact at large scale

        • Transition of working forests from traditional management techniques to maximize climate impact

        • Responsible forestry practices aligned with SFI® standards

        • Rigorous carbon accounting and high-quality project baseline established using historical harvest records

        The IFM projects led by Weyerhaeuser are some of the largest in the US today and a model for scaling science-backed forest carbon solutions.

        Petcacab: Indigenous-led conservation in the Yucatán Peninsula

        Located in the communal lands of Petcacab, Mexico, this IFM project is led by Indigenous Mayan ejidatarios—community members who have legal rights to manage the land.

        Historically, forests in the ejido have been degraded through unsustainable harvesting and extensive damage from hurricanes. Through carbon finance, they are developing new forest management plans and sustainable forestry models, with revenue reinvested in health, education, and job creation.

        The rainforest for me represents my home, my work, my present, my future. We have a very daring challenge: to transform how we manage our forest, shifting from harvesting and selling timber to conserving it through the sale of carbon credits that support the development of our community.
        — Celso Chan Rivas, Carbon Project General Manager


        What makes Petcacab stand out:

        • Equitable benefit-sharing and strong Indigenous governance

        • Critical habitat protection for endangered species

        • Increased additional carbon storage through forest management and reduced land use conversion 

        • Transparent reporting and verified outcomes

        Petcacab is recognized by Carbon Direct as a high-quality community IFM project in Mexico, with clear social, environmental, and climate outcomes.

        How Carbon Direct supports high-integrity IFM projects

        Carbon Direct advises both buyers on how to navigate the forest carbon market with confidence. Our role in IFM includes:

        We work to confirm that every IFM project we recommend stands up to scrutiny, scientifically, socially, and commercially.

        Investing in forests that deliver more than carbon

        Improved forest management is more than a carbon strategy, it’s an investment in ecosystems, communities, and long-term impact. For buyers seeking high-integrity carbon removal with social and environmental co-benefits, IFM projects offer a compelling opportunity.

        IFM projects like the ones developed by Weyerhaeuser and Petcacab in collaboration with Carbon Direct show what’s possible when forests are managed with science and care. They also reflect what the voluntary carbon market needs more of: quality, transparency, and impact beyond the metric ton.

        Looking to build a high-quality carbon portfolio?

        Explore our vetted high-quality carbon removals curated to meet your needs → 

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        2024 State of the Voluntary Carbon Market

        Learn the latest trends and developments shaping the voluntary carbon market, and the critical role of high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

        Report

        2024 State of the Voluntary Carbon Market

        Learn the latest trends and developments shaping the voluntary carbon market, and the critical role of high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

        Report

        2024 State of the Voluntary Carbon Market

        Learn the latest trends and developments shaping the voluntary carbon market, and the critical role of high-quality carbon dioxide removal.

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