The Katoomba-CARE Online PES Contract Toolkit houses a growing collection of transactional resources for use by communities, project developers and lawyers interested in contracting for ecosystem services. Our goal is to make low-cost transaction management solutions easily accessible to interested parties. Resources include template contracts, contract drafting and design guidance, and topical publications and links. The toolkit is updated and populated with additional resources on an ongoing basis. By providing a variety of tools at one site, we hope to build technical capacity as well as confidence in PES as a natural resource management tool.

Objectives of the Online PES Contract Management Center

1. Help project developers and communities to understand the rights and responsibilities of contractual arrangements.
2. Reduce transaction costs related to the development of PES and REDD projects.
3. Provide resources to help local lawyers develop expertise in PES contract design.
4. Help to formalize PES transactions so that essential contractual elements are standardized and facilitate a progression towards accepted norms.

DISCLAIMER: The template contracts, documents, and links on this site are offered to highlight the key issues that should be considered in PES and REDD transactions, not to provide a substitute for experienced, local legal counsel. As this field is evolving rapidly, it will be essential to engage legal counsel in conjunction with any PES transaction to ensure that any agreements reflect the latest developments in the field and comply with all current local and national legislation.