In light of developments in REDD+, national governments are increasingly adopting legislation aimed at regulating forest carbon rights. In Mexico, a draft law on climate change is currently under discussion at Parliamentary level, however this law does not specifically consider forest carbon rights. This means that in determining carbon rights in Mexico, ownership or substantive use rights of forests should be the first step in determining the entity most likely to have rights to carbon sequestered by forests.
This case study provides an outline of how the legal framework in Mexico regulates ownership on forest lands, providing insights into who is likely to hold forest carbon rights in Mexico. The case study also outlines the remaining uncertainties in defining and allocating carbon rights.
