This paper explores potential governance and management innovations in European mountain regions to address global policy objectives on climate change and to ensure the development of marginalised mountain regions. It is based on the theoretical concept of ecosystem services governance and the theory of common pool resource regimes (commons). The paper analyses the potential of European mountain regions for carbon sequestration as an innovative forest management approach. Herein, we demonstrate how carbon forestry implemented in forest commons contributes to the resilience and well-being of European mountain regions and how it can be a successful governance innovation to scale down CO2 objectives in the European Union and local policy arenas.