BRONX, NY (November 12, 2026) — The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) congratulates the Government of Madagascar on taking a major step toward securing international carbon financing to protect approximately 4 million hectares of forest across 13 regions, representing nearly 55 percent of the country’s forest cover. The initiative, known as Ala Velona (“Living Forests”), aims to reduce deforestation while generating funding to conserve biodiversity and support communities that depend on these forests.

Madagascar reached this milestone by publishing a formal concept note for Ala Velona on the registry of the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), the international organization that administers the TREES standard for high-integrity forest carbon credits. This is the first step toward registering the program under the standard, which requires independent validation and verification of emission reductions. Ala Velona aims to generate an average of 6 million tonnes of emission reductions annually by reducing deforestation.

“Madagascar deserves recognition for taking this important step toward long-term, equitable security for its extraordinary forests and biodiversity,” said Joe Walston, WCS Executive Vice President for Global Conservation. “By pursuing high-integrity forest carbon credits, the government demonstrates how protecting nature can directly support communities, build resilience and contribute to countering climate change. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the government and people of Madagascar on this ambitious initiative.”

The Government of Madagascar plans to officially launch Ala Velona at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 16, 2026, at an event organized in partnership with WCS.

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