This policy brief discusses the extent to which Adaptive Collaborative Management (ACM) can be utilized in climate change initiatives in the forestry sector. ACM, developed by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), is a participatory approach designed to link forest stakeholders, empower local communities and strengthen adaptive capacity. The brief begins by outlining how climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives have opened up new opportunities and challenges for communities living in and around forests. It then goes on to discuss ACM in more detail before providing examples of case studies where ACM has been utilized successfully. The brief concludes by arguing that in order for climate change initiatives to be effective, global actors must adequately respond to the needs of those at the sub-national and local level; it is claimed that ACM offers a means to achieve this goal. The brief also includes a list of ACM resources.