Explaining ‘carbon’ in community sequestration projects: a key element in the creation of local carbon knowledges

The formation of local carbon knowledge is central to the meaningful participation of communities in the land-based carbon projects which have become widespread in pursuit of global emissions reductions. Through a qualitative analysis of interviews with community sensitization practitioners, this paper considers how concepts of carbon are communicated to project communities. We find that fieldworkers use people’s own experiences to make intangible carbon visible, but rely on scientific concepts to explain the transfer of carbon between states. However, interviews suggest that project communities’ knowledge and understanding of carbon is partial. This highlights the challenges of meeting the safeguarding principles of respect for local knowledge and informed consent in carbon projects. We conclude that greater attention needs to be given by planners to the role of communication in carbon projects, including the potential to draw on indigenous knowledges to advance local understanding.