The Story of Carbon in the Great Bear Rainforest
- Lise Oakley
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- Jul 2
- 7 min read
The Great Bear Rainforest is an expansive ecosystem that stretches along the North Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. As one of the largest intact temperate rainforests in the world, the Great Bear Rainforest, and Haida Gwaii, are fundamental parts of the planet’s fight against climate change.
This is the story of how Indigenous leadership, ancestral knowledge[1] , and carbon innovation came together to protect this extraordinary place. What began in the 1990s as conversations around forest protection and reconciliation has grown into the largest Indigenous-led forest carbon project in Canada.
“This project came out of the very first act of reconciliation on the part of Canada and British Columbia. It has become the standard for what reconciliation means between First Nations governments and the Crown.” With these words, Chief Danielle Shaw, President of the Great Bear Carbon Credit Corporation, captures the spirit and significance of the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project.
By recognizing the potential of carbon markets, First Nations communities helped shape a new path that generates revenue, strengthens stewardship, and supports lasting change for people and the planet.
Carbon Sequestration & Storage in the Rainforest
As the world grapples with climate change—including rising temperatures and extreme weather events—the need for environmental protection and sustainability is ever more pressing.
The Great Bear (Haida Gwaii) Forest Carbon Project and the Great Bear (North and Central-Mid Coast) Forest Carbon Project emerged to protect ancient forests and as part of a larger effort to implement Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM). This globally recognized land and resource planning approach protects biodiversity while supporting human wellbeing. In the Great Bear Rainforest, carbon values have become a key tool for achieving the balance of preserving the regions ecological integrity while creating stable, long-term benefits for First Nations communities.
The coastal old-growth forests of the Great Bear Rainforest are carbon powerhouses. These trees, some over a thousand years old, have been absorbing and storing carbon for centuries. During photosynthesis, they pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it within their trunks, branches, leaves, roots, and soil, a process known as carbon sequestration. As a result, the Great Bear Rainforest stores more carbon per hectare than any tropical rainforest, including the Amazon. [2] However, these carbon stores are only secure if the forests remain standing.
Carbon offsets came into play to protect these forests from destructive logging practices. They offer long-term revenue and economic self-reliance for the First Nations who steward these traditional territories. By preserving the trees and the ecosystem they support, the stored carbon remains locked in the forest instead of entering the atmosphere and to further fuel climate change.
Maintaining and protecting these beautiful forests is paramount in protecting biodiversity and fighting global warming.
Ecosystem-Based Management in the Great Bear Rainforest
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Projects are rooted in the foundational principles of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM), which guide land use planning and conservation across the region. Established through the Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order, EBM uses two equally essential pillars:
Maintaining ecosystem integrity by minimizing negative impacts on ecological values and natural processes, including the protection of biodiversity, old-growth forests, wildlife habitat, and aquatic systems.
Improving human wellbeing by ensuring that communities in the region enjoy a quality of life—culturally, socially, and economically—equal to or better than the Canadian average.
These two goals are inseparable. If one is achieved at the expense of the other, EBM has not been fully realized. Protecting the rainforest while neglecting the needs of the people who live there, or vice versa, would undermine the very foundation of this approach.
In the Great Bear Rainforest, EBM is a conservation strategy that ensures forest protection and carbon storage go hand in hand with community wellbeing and long-term economic resilience.
The Inception of the Great Bear Rainforest Carbon Project
The Great Bear Carbon Project's roots trace back to the formation of the Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative (CFN). CFN is an alliance of eight First Nations on the North Pacific Coast, who are the rights and title holders committed to safeguarding their traditional territories.
For years, these Nations faced relentless industrial logging, which threatened old-growth forests and their biodiversity. At the same time, many communities relied on forestry for jobs and revenue and this created a challenge that was both environmental and economic.
From the start, leadership understood that lasting change couldn’t come at the cost of community wellbeing. That’s where the principles of EBM offered a framework for transformation. While Nations pushed for forest conservation, they also needed a new economic model that could support their people long-term.
In the early 2000s, the idea of using carbon markets to support forest protection began to take shape. Leaders such as CFN Chair Guujaaw, Executive Director Art Sterritt, Senior Policy Advisor Garry Wouters, and First Nations Chief Councillors started to explore how carbon offsets could fund the shift away from industrial logging.
After an initial province-wide reconciliation effort fell short, CFN leadership and advisors identified a new path forward. They connected with government officials and championed forest protection and land use changes as the foundation for environmental protection and economic sustainability.
This work culminated in the 2009 Great Bear Rainforest Agreements; a series of landmark conservation deals that protected millions of hectares of coastal forest. These agreements also laid the groundwork for the Reconciliation Protocols and Atmospheric Benefit Agreements (ABAs) put in place the same year.
They also confirmed the rights to carbon for the First Nations to own and sell these offsets in the marketplace.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Projects emerged from this foundation. By preventing logging that would have occurred under the provincial tenure system, these projects generate carbon offsets by storing carbon that otherwise would have been released. Instead of corporate clear-cutting, the rainforest is now stewarded by Coastal First Nations, creating a model where ecological integrity and economic resilience are woven together.
Development of the Carbon Project
Moving from concept to reality was not without its challenges. Resistance from provincial government officials, skepticism about the viability of carbon offsets, and the complexities of creating a carbon market posed significant hurdles. Starting in 2010, as part of its commitment to achieving carbon-neutral operations, the BC government purchased Great Bear Carbon offsets through a six-year offtake agreement.
These offsets were used to maintain a net impact of zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across public sector organizations (PSOs), including health authorities, school districts, universities, colleges, institutes, Crown corporations and government offices. Today, the BC government continues to be a significant buyer of Great Bear Carbon offsets.
One significant obstacle arose when attempting to sell offsets to major tech companies, which sought offsets certified under Endorsed Standards by the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA). Unfortunately, the BC Government's Forest Carbon Offset Protocol, tailored specifically to BC's forests, was not initially recognized by ICROA. It took three years of negotiation to secure certification, resulting in lost market opportunities and bureaucratic delays.
Despite these challenges, the project persevered, and early purchasers helped sustain momentum. By 2017–2019, voluntary (public) sales began to gain traction.
From 2020 onward, Great Bear Carbon offsets experienced exceptional growth in voluntary market demand, marking some of the strongest sales years since inception. Increased recognition of Indigenous-led climate solutions and a global shift toward high-integrity nature-based offsets helped drive this surge. The introduction of British Columbia’s Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) in 2024 has further expanded the market opportunity, positioning the projects to serve both voluntary and compliance buyers. With its strong environmental integrity and deep connection to Indigenous stewardship, the project continues to attract interest from values-aligned organizations across sectors.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Projects
Offsets are sold to companies seeking to counteract their carbon emissions. These sales create a revenue stream that directly supports Coastal First Nations communities and their stewardship of the Great Bear Rainforest.
The Great Bear Forest Carbon Projects comprise three distinct regional initiatives: the South Central Coast, North & Central-Mid Coast, and Haida Gwaii. Each project is independently managed by a First Nations-owned partnership responsible for marketing and selling its offsets. Nanwakolas Offset Limited Partnership oversees the South Central Coast Project, while the Great Bear Carbon Credit Limited Partnership manages the North & Central-Mid Coast and Haida Gwaii projects.
These projects differ based on the composition of the Nations involved, forest conditions, and the history of industrial logging activity. Some regions contain more second-growth areas, while others are rich in intact old growth.
The Great Bear (North and Central-Mid Coast) Forest Carbon Project (2009)
This project covers the northern and central mid-coast of British Columbia, renowned for its ancient trees and abundant wildlife. Participating Nations include Wuikinuxv, Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Nuxalk, Gitga’at, and Metlakatla. Each Nation leads stewardship initiatives within its territory, using carbon revenue to fund conservation, restoration, and sustainable economic opportunities.
The Great Bear (South Central Coast) Forest Carbon Project (2009)
Further south, the Great Bear South Central Coast project spans the territories of Tlowitsis, Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, K’ómoks, Mamalilikulla, and Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala. These Nations have utilized carbon revenues to strengthen local economies, create jobs, and fund environmental protection programs.
The Great Bear (Haida Gwaii) Forest Carbon Project (2011)
On the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, this carbon project ensures carbon finance aligns with Haida values and long-term stewardship priorities. It brings together Old Massett, Skidegate, and the Council of the Haida Nation.
"The Haida Gwaii project is unique," Paul Kariya, Acting General Manager of Great Bear Carbon, notes. "They have a longer history of dealing with industrial logging and were able to put a stop to it sooner. This has influenced the composition of their forests and the approach to carbon and ecosystem-based management."
Carbon Offsets: A Model for Climate Action
The Great Bear Carbon Projects demonstrate how traditional knowledge and modern climate science can work together to solve global challenges.
Grounded in the principles of Ecosystem-Based Management, the project has become the world’s largest Indigenous-led forest carbon initiative in a temperate rainforest. It offers a model where environmental stewardship and community resilience grow hand in hand.
The story of carbon in the Great Bear Rainforest is still being written. By supporting these projects and learning more about Great Bear Carbon's offsets, we can all play a part in ensuring that this ecosystem continues to thrive, not just for local communities but for the entire planet.
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