The climate change debate has brought forests to the forefront of the international agenda. Since the 1990s the forestry voluntary carbon market (VCM) has taken shape, though forest owners have generally not been the first to understand its potential, according to this publication. It is a complex concept and there is a very real risk that forest owners may surrender the potential benefits of this new market to other, better informed actors. Small landowners and local communities in rural areas of the Asia-Pacific region are at the greatest risk of losing out in this new market. These guidelines were developed to assist smallholders and smallholder groups, community-based forest managers, non-governmental organisations and local forestry officials to decide whether or not to undertake a forestry voluntary carbon market project and, once a decision has been taken to proceed, to provide guidance on how to design and implement the project.