Our history
SOCIALCARBON is widely recognised as the first voluntary carbon standard developed in the Global South. Its origins trace back to the Bananal Island Carbon Sequestration Project, launched in Brazil in 1997 as the country’s first carbon project and one of the earliest carbon projects globally. From the beginning, SOCIALCARBON was built on a simple but powerful principle: Nature-Based Solutions can only deliver lasting climate and environmental impact when they also strengthen sustainable livelihoods and place local communities at the centre of project design and implementation.
The SOCIALCARBON Standard was formally launched in 2005 in Tocantins, Brazil, by the Ecologica Institute. It was initially developed as a co-benefit standard, used alongside existing carbon standards to monitor and demonstrate the broader social, environmental and economic impacts of climate projects. During this period, the Canguçu Research Centre was established in Tocantins State to support environmental research, conservation, and community-based initiatives in the region.
2005 - 2022
Between 2005 and 2022, SOCIALCARBON was applied by more than 60 projects across three continents, supporting the reduction and removal of over 20 million tonnes of CO₂e. Throughout this period, the Standard was managed by the Brazilian NGO Ecologica Institute, maintaining its distinctive focus on sustainable development, community participation and locally grounded climate action.
2022 - 2025
In 2022, SOCIALCARBON entered a new phase with the launch of SOCIALCARBON Standard v6, marking its transition from a co-benefit standard into a full carbon standard focused on Nature-Based Solutions. The Social Carbon Foundation, a UK charity, was established to support the management and continued evolution of the Standard from the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, SOCIALCARBON Standard v7.0 had been released, strengthening the programme’s governance, safeguards, registry procedures and technical requirements. During this period, 17 projects were registered under the Standard.
2026 onwards
To support the next stage of growth, Social Carbon Ltd was established as a social enterprise to take over administration of the SOCIALCARBON Standard. This transition enables the programme to scale internationally while preserving its founding mission: delivering high-integrity Nature-Based Solutions that combine climate action, biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods.
Today, SOCIALCARBON has evolved into a full Nature Standard, supporting offsetting, insetting and Nature Stewardship. Building on its Global South origins and two decades of experience, SOCIALCARBON continues to advance market-based mechanisms that deliver measurable environmental outcomes while ensuring that local communities remain central to long-term impact.