Environmental organizations can be watchdog groups that focus on strict compliance with regulations, advocacy groups that work to change public policy, or non-profits such as land trusts that facilitate transactions resulting in conservation or restoration. Whether these groups work at the fine or broad scale, ultimately they all want to see substantial restoration of ecosystem health.

What is the role of environmental organizations?

Environmental organizations can play important roles by doing the following:

• Helping to develop protocols and trading mechanisms for the market that will result in actual ecosystem improvements
• Identifying the highest priority areas for conservation and restoration
• Creating and selling credits
• Holding credits that are part of assurance pools, to safeguard against market failure
• Making sure that permits are specific enough to be enforced and that planned projects are actually implemented
  
• Acting as third-party verifiers who ensure that restoration actions are completed in the ways needed to create credits