Despite strong evidence that Indigenous stewardship sustains biodiversity and carbon stocks, carbon markets typically reward recovery from degradation rather than protection, often excluding Indigenous-managed lands. Rethinking additionality could align climate mitigation with care, equity and long-term ecosystem stewardship.
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Acknowledgements
P.I.M. was supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT250100371).
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P.I.M. conceived the idea and wrote the first draft. All authors contributed to drafting and revising across multiple iterations. All approved the final version.
Positionality statement: B.S. is a Yirrganydji Traditional Custodian, Australia.
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Macreadie, P.I., Singleton, B., Costa, M.D.P. et al. Additionality requirements of carbon markets could penalize Indigenous stewardship. Nat. Clim. Chang. 16, 234–235 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-026-02576-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-026-02576-2
