Building Skills and Capacities for Article 6 Activities

Brazil, India, and China – these were the early movers that dominated the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) world. It took years before other countries from the Global South managed to attract CDM projects, and for some it was even too late for them to benefit from the CDM boom in the first Kyoto commitment period. With the cooperation mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement, a new chance is given for Parties/Countries of the Global South to trade emission allowances in an inclusive, regionally balanced and international approach. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables countries to cooperate in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and transfer emission reductions among themselves. The recently published Carbon Mechanisms Review (CMR) "Getting started – Building skills and capacities for Article 6 activities," addresses what capacity-building activities are important for government policymakers and other national actors. The authors focus not only on applying the Article 6 rulebook and on establishing robust national governance systems, but also on finding the balance between the NDC compliance and potential benefits under Article 6.

The cover feature of the CMR takes a look at current Art. 6 capacity building needs and how to address them. In addition, the magazine presents a recently started large-scale readiness programme and an interview with Ousmane Fall Sarr, the Coordinator of the West African Alliance for Carbon Markets and Climate Finance. In the other sections of the issue, the authors analyse the future of programmatic approaches under the Paris Agreement and explore how transformational change can be promoted through Article 6 cooperation. Last but not least, the CMR presents a German Government offset scheme that intends to purchase Art. 6.4 certificates in order to offset public servants' business trips.

The Carbon Mechanisms Review "Getting started" (2/2022) is available free of charge under the link below.