Belem, Brazil | 11–23 November 2025
At UNFCCC COP30, AFoCO actively engaged in and hosted multiple side events to advance high-integrity forest and nature-based carbon solutions in Asia. AFoCO emphasized blended finance and community-based forest carbon programs as key tools for scaling impact and mobilizing private investment. Through these engagements, AFoCO reaffirmed its role as a government-led platform, supporting NDC implementation and cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
1. Flagship AFoCO-led Events on Forest-Based Climate Solutions
Scaling Community-Based Forest Carbon through Blended Finance
On 14 November 2025, AFoCO organized a side event titled “Blended Finance for Scaling Community-Based Forest Carbon Programs in Asia” at the Forest Pavilion. The session explored practical approaches to scaling community-based forest carbon initiatives in Asia, with a focus on blended finance and high-integrity carbon market frameworks. The session featured presentations highlighting Korea’s Global Voluntary Carbon Market Mechanism (GVCM) and the Global Carbon Council (GCC)’s satellite- and remote sensing–based digital MRV systems.
Discussions emphasized the importance of linking ODA, public finance, and private investment to mobilize private capital at scale and reduce investment risks. In particular, a country case from the Kyrgyz Republic illustrated how smallholder agroforestry and community-based forest restoration can serve as effective entry points to carbon markets.
The event underscored the importance of community-centered implementation and equitable benefit-sharing for long-term sustainability, while identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration between AFoCO and Korea’s GVCM initiative.
ASEAN-AFoCO Living Lab Initiative: Connecting Science, Policy, and Markets for Forest-Positive Economies
On 17 November 2025, AFoCO hosted a side event titled “Innovative Approaches to Envisioning Nature-based Solutions by ASEAN-AFoCO Living Lab Initiative” at the ASEAN Pavilion. The event showcased the ASEAN–AFoCO Living Lab Initiative as a regional platform for innovation in nature-based solutions. The session introduced the Initiative’s strategic vision and operational framework, with country experiences from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and the Kyrgyz Republic illustrating community-driven and science-based forest restoration in practice.
Discussions focused on the Living Lab’s role in linking science, policy, and market mechanisms to support forest-positive economies, while also addressing challenges related to governance, transparency in financing, and policy coherence.
The event underscored the importance of digital MRV, participatory approaches, and inclusive partnerships in scaling sustainable forest management. It also emphasized the need to better align regional policies with private capital to fully realize the Initiative’s potential.
2. AFoCO Contributions to Global Dialogues
GVCM as a Platform for Credible and Inclusive Carbon Markets
On 13 November 2025, the side event “Building the Global Voluntary Carbon Market (GVCM) for High-Integrity Carbon Markets” was held at the Korea Pavilion, jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) of the Republic of Korea and the 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission. The program featured presentations on Korea’s GVCM implementation plan, AFoCO’s forest-sector pilot projects, the World Bank’s insights on market integrity, and technical inputs on digital innovation and MRV.
In the opening session, Mr. Sunpil Jin, Vice Executive Director of AFoCO, welcomed the launch of the GVCM as an important step toward a credible and inclusive global carbon market aligned with the Paris Agreement. In its technical presentation, Mr. Sungho Choi, Team Leader of the Carbon Projects Team, introduced proposed forest-sector pilot projects under the GVCM across its Member Countries. The presentation underscored AFoCO’s role as a treaty-based, government-led regional platform to support the implementation of community-centered, high-integrity forest carbon solutions under the GVCM framework.
Forests at the Core of NDC Implementation
On 14 November 2025, AFoCO participated in the side event “Forest Sector’s Contribution to NDC and Global Cooperation Network of South Korea” held at the Korea Pavilion. During the panel discussion, AFoCO shared its regional experience in advancing forest-based climate action and highlighted the central role of forests in NDC implementation across its 17 Member Countries. AFoCO outlined its support for REDD+ readiness and presented practical examples of Article 6.2 cooperation between Lao PDR and the Republic of Korea. AFoCO also emphasized the importance of blended finance, as well as jurisdictional and nested REDD+ approaches, to scale high-integrity forest-based mitigation.
Mangroves as Emerging Nature-based Solutions
On 15 November 2025, AFoCO participated in the side event “Mangroves as Next-generation Nature-based Solutions: From Digital MRV to Carbon Markets” held at the Korea Pavilion. Organized by Kookmin University Forest Carbon Graduate School (KMU-FCGS) and co-organized by GCC, the session explored carbon sequestration potential of mangrove blue carbon and the role of digital MRV and data-driven tools in supporting high-integrity carbon markets. During the panel discussion, AFoCO highlighted its role in integrating mangrove and blue carbon initiatives into national policies and NDCs across its 17 Member Countries.
Advancing High-Integrity Nature-based Solutions through Regional Action
On 15 November 2025, AFoCO participated in the side event “High-Integrity Nature-based Carbon Solutions – Science, Transparency, and Scalable Impact” held at the GCC Pavilion. AFoCO contributed through a technical presentation by Mr. Sungho Choi and a panel discussion by Mr. Sunpil Jin, introducing its regional forest carbon pilot model and carbon-layered blended finance approach. AFoCO emphasized digital MRV, community participation, and equitable benefit-sharing and highlighted the need for intergovernmental cooperation to scale high-integrity forest carbon solutions.
Through its active engagement at COP30, AFoCO reinforced its position as a leading platform for high-integrity forest and nature-based carbon solutions in Asia. Its contributions demonstrated how government-led international cooperation can bridge public policy, private investment, and community action in emerging carbon markets. AFoCO also highlighted the role of forests in NDC implementation and Article 6 cooperation by presenting concrete pilot initiatives and readiness support for Member Countries. These engagements underscored its growing capacity to translate global climate commitments into credible, inclusive, and actionable outcomes on the ground.