As India enters the global carbon economy—through compliance and voluntary markets, Article 6 mechanisms, and net-zero commitments—a fundamental question arises: Who holds the right to the carbon stored or sequestered on Indian land, especially when the land belongs to communities, forest dwellers, or farmers? Carbon projects, particularly those involving nature-based solutions (such as forestry, agroforestry, soil carbon, and blue carbon), depend on long-term access to land and control over its use. Yet, India’s land governance landscape is fragmented, with overlapping legal, customary, and administrative rights.
Emerging carbon projects (e.g., REDD+, agroforestry, biochar, regenerative agriculture) are often developed on common lands, forest lands, or community lands, but rarely with clarity on carbon ownership, benefit-sharing frameworks, or the role of statutory rights-holders under laws like the Forest Rights Act, PESA, and Panchayat Raj Acts
This panel will examine the legal, institutional, and equity challenges at the intersection of land rights and carbon rights in India, and propose pathways to ensure that carbon finance recognises land tenure, upholds justice, and benefits the rightful stewards of land.
Objectives of the Panel
To explore the legal status of carbon as a property right in India.
To examine how land ownership, user rights, and customary tenure relate to carbon benefits.
To assess risks of dispossession or elite capture in carbon markets involving community land.
To identify frameworks and safeguards for equitable benefit-sharing and
carbon governance.
To recommend policy actions to clarify and strengthen the nexus of land and carbon rights.
Guiding Questions
1.Legal and Policy Clarity
Does Indian law define carbon rights? Who owns the carbon sequestered on land—state, individual, or community?
2.Tenure Complexity
How do different types of land tenure (private, community, CFR, commons) affect eligibility for carbon financing?
3.Equity & Consent
What processes ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in community-based carbon projects?
4.Benefit Sharing
How can carbon revenues be transparently and fairly shared with landowners and land users?
5.Institutional Roles
What roles should state agencies, panchayats, forest rights committees,
and carbon standards play?
About the session speakers
Mr Tambhor Lyngdoh
Secretary, Synjuk Federation, Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project (Online)
Panelist
Mr. Tambor Lyngdoh, the Founding Chairman of Synjuk and Project Director of the Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project has over 25 years of experience in conservation. He successfully led the Community Biodiversity Conservation project in Mawphlang from 2002-2007 as President of the Village Forest Council. A key figure in reviving sacred groves and promoting eco-tourism, he has received several awards, including the Eastern Himalayan Conservation Award 2018, NatWest Green Warrior Award (2020) and Bharat Ratna Meghalaya State Excellence Award 2021. His work focuses on sustainable tourism, sacred grove preservation, wildlife conservation, and community development
Ms Swapna Sarangi
Head Gender Diversity and Integration, Foundation For Ecological Security (FES)
Panelist
I'm a post-graduate from the Tata Institute of Social Services (TISS) and Hyderabad Central University, has been working with Foundation for Ecological Security(FES) for better governance and management of Commons like forests, water, land, and other life forms for the past 26 years. I have been working with the rural communities of Odisha in crafting and strengthening community institutions for better governance of shared natural resources in the state. I have also led multi disciplinary teams of professionals for implementation of large-scale projects around nature conservation, climate action, resources governance and livelihood improvement. I also liaison with government officials in the state and across for creation of an enabling ecosystem. I'm also involved in building collaborations been part of several networks, committees and forums who are engaged on issues around nature conservation, gender inclusion and climate action. Currently I'm serving as the Director, Innovation and Inclusion at FES.
Ms Shaika Rakshi
Associate Director – Nature-Based Solutions, FCF India
Panelist
Associate Director – Nature-Based Solutions
With over two decades of experience in interdisciplinary approaches to development and climate change, Shaika leads Nature-based Solutions at FCF India. She specializes in natural resource management, ecosystem services, agroecology, and sustainable agriculture. Shaika supports the team in enhancing technical, social, and ecological knowledge on Carbon Projects while contributing to strategic growth and development at FCF India.
Ms Aanchal Seth
PhD scholar, Panjab University, (Paper presenter) (Online)
Panelist
Aanchal Seth, from Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, is a research scholar at Panjab University, Chandigarh. Her research focuses on tribal rights to forests, with particular attention to issues of recognition, marginalization, and environmental justice.
Ms Kanchi Kohli
Researcher, Educator, Associate Editor, Current Conservation (Moderator) (TBC)
Moderator
Kanchi Kohli is a researcher, educator and communicator of environmental law and policy. Her work areas cover the fields of environment, forest and biodiversity regulation and governance in India. Her policy research and practice explores the links and gaps between law, development, sustainability and environmental justice. Kanchi has authored numerous reports, research papers, and articles. She teaches environmental law at various institutions and is an Associate Editor of Current Conservation. Kanchi was part of the US government’s IVLP program and received a Fulbright Fellowship at Berkeley Law in 2013
Dr Dipika Adhikari
PhD graduate, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University
Chair
Dipika is an environmental governance and public policy researcher. She was awarded her PhD recently from Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, where she studied how polycentric collective forums govern land tenure security of Indigenous Rajwar peoples (Van Raji PVTG in Uttarakhand).
She is currently associated with ARPAN (Association for Rural Planning and Action), working with Rajwar peoples to secure their tenure. Dipika also acts as Deputy Coordinator in IUFRO's Rural Governance and Forest Tenure Division, where she collaborates with international researchers to advance knowledge on tenure reforms and the water-forest-land nexus globally.
She is keen to work with passionate researchers and change-makers on cross-cutting issues of changing climate, natural resource governance, environmental management, community livelihood, Indigenous knowledge systems, and climate justice.