Carbon markets often reward interventions that are visible, measurable, and easy to explain, including new planting, restoration, and clearly defined additionality narratives. Yet some of the most important climate, biodiversity, and community outcomes may come from protecting existing carbon-rich ecosystems before they are degraded or lost.This webinar brings together project developers and practitioners working across blue carbon, REDD+, forest carbon, and nature-based carbon markets to ask a critical question: Are current market incentives guiding projects toward the highest-impact outcomes, or simply the most marketable ones?Drawing on experience from coastal wetland and mangrove projects, blue carbon methodology and project development, and community-led REDD+ forest conservation, speakers will discuss how project developers decide when conservation, restoration, or a combined approach makes sense. The conversation will compare carbon outcomes, additionality, permanence, leakage, ecological integrity, community governance, benefit sharing, buyer expectations, and investor risk.

Participants will gain practical insights into:

• How carbon market incentives shape project design across blue carbon and forest carbon
• When conservation can deliver strong climate, biodiversity, and community outcomes
• When restoration is necessary, credible, and investable
• How project developers manage risks such as reversals, leakage, social conflict, ecological failure, and policy shifts
• What buyers and investors should understand about the real-world trade-offs behind high-integrity carbon projects