ERS Acquires Equitable Earth to Advance High-Quality Community-led Forest Conservation Projects

June 12, 2025

Ecosystem Restoration Standard (ERS), an ICVCM approved carbon standard focused on nature-based solutions, today announced the acquisition of Equitable Earth - a pioneering forest carbon standard that integrates technical innovation and conservation best practices with the priorities of Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities and governments, particularly in the Global South.

We’re proud to see the Equitable Earth standard move into its next chapter under the leadership of ERS. What began as a coalition effort to center Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in climate finance is now becoming a fully independent and scalable standard, built on integrity, equity, and the lived experiences of those closest to the forest.

Equitable Earth's Origins

Wildlife Works' leadership in developing community-centered conservation projects, built from years of listening, learning, and co-creating with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, uniquely positioned us to help incubate a standard that not only works for them, but also meets the highest technical and market expectations.

Wildlife Works team members have spent decades working in close partnership with forest communities to bring their own solutions and aspirations to life. We knew that without forest communities at the decision-making table, redirecting global climate finance flows to fund their solutions would continue to be a struggle.

In response to this imbalance, we initiated the formation of the People’s Forests Partnership (PFP): a membership-based platform formed and led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities to shape how the carbon market engages with them - on their terms.Under PFP, a powerful set of principles and criteria was developed, grounded in the lived experiences and priorities of its members.

Together with Forest Trends, Wildlife Works and Everland formed Equitable Earth’s seed coalition to launch the new standard with a bold but simple mission: to create a high-integrity carbon crediting approach that starts with the needs of Indigenous People and local communities, using the best of today’s science, technology, and practice. We drew heavily from the foundational work of PFP, using its principles as a launching pad. We then assembled a diverse coalition of experts - across science, indigenous knowledge, technology, conservation, markets, and policy - to co-create something that was designed for and guided by communities while utilizing the most advanced technology. 

Wildlife Works' Contribution

We’re honored to have contributed to the standard’s innovations like the BAAR framework - now in its second iteration, which applies machine learning to carbon stock & change data to deliver accurate, nested baselines that natively account for both deforestation and degradation. Equitable Earth also integrates novel quality and impact modules, featuring a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) approach for non-carbon elements that ensure outcomes for communities and ecosystems are continuously assessed and improved over time.

Move to Independence

From the outset, our intent was to bring this standard to life and then step back, ensuring its growth could continue with integrity and impact. ERS brings deep technical expertise, a proven team, and most importantly, a shared commitment to the core values that have guided this work from the beginning.

We’re deeply grateful to the many partners, advisors, and community leaders who shaped this journey. As the voluntary carbon market evolves, Equitable Earth, under ERS stewardship, can help set a new standard rooted in scientific rigor, operational transparency, and equitable impact.

Read the press release.