Doha, Qatar: The Global Carbon Council (GCC), an independent, internationally recognised carbon crediting standard in the Global South – has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), which is part of the CGIAR system and a leading international tree, forestry and agroforestry research organisation working in more than 90 countries.
This MOU unites the technical expertise of GCC with the world-class scientific research of CIFOR-ICRAF to accelerate the implementation of high-integrity Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and strengthen the environmental integrity of the global carbon marketplace.
This partnership arrives at a critical juncture for global climate finance. According to the 2026 UNEP State of Finance for Nature report, the world is currently facing a staggering imbalance in capital allocation. In 2023, funding flows that damage nature totalled $7.3 trillion, vastly outweighing the $220 billion directed toward nature-based solutions, creating an imbalance of over 30 to 1.
In effect, for every $1 invested in protecting nature, approximately $30 is still directed toward nature-negative activities. This stark disparity has inadvertently accelerated the demand for credible, transparent, and scientifically grounded climate action, as stakeholders increasingly seek high-integrity pathways to redirect capital toward nature-positive outcomes.
Emphasising the strategic necessity of this alliance, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GCC said, “The core objective of our partnership with CIFOR-ICRAF is to build the transparency and technical assurance essential for both public and private sectors to invest confidently in the planet’s natural capital. In a context where much of the global finance flows toward nature-destructive activities, our collaboration will be instrumental in developing high-integrity baseline methodologies that reflect the unique ecological and social landscapes of the MENA region and beyond, ultimately closing the finance gap and accelerating our collective progress toward the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
