The objective of the Terrestrial Carbon Group is for terrestrial carbon to be effectively included in the international response to climate change. This paper provides guiding principles to do so in support of: (a) ongoing global negotiations on reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol; and (b) emerging national, bi-lateral, and multinational efforts to maintain and enhance terrestrial carbon. Both market and non-market approaches to terrestrial carbon and climate change are necessary. Within that context, this paper proposes a system to credibly include terrestrial carbon in developing nations in the international response to climate change using carbon markets.