Participatory carbon monitoring (PCM) is presented here as an approach to improve the vertical and horizontal institutional integration of different stakeholders for carbon accounting within a country’s national REDD+ programme. This document aims to guide national stakeholders involved in the REDD+ readiness process in understanding: a) what a PCM approach is, and what are potential and limitations involved (Section 1); and b) how to organise stakeholders and operationalize carbon accounting within a PCM approach for national REDD+ programmes (Section 2). PCM applications for REDD+ other than carbon accounting safeguard compliance; low-emissions development planning; benefit sharing; and monitoring REDD+ policies and measures - are also introduced but not elaborated on in this document.

The document describes roles and key functional tasks for a PCM approach to four distinct stakeholder groups: national government institutions, subnational government institutions, local stakeholders (including local communities), and non-government institutions and private sector.