Article 6 moves to implementation, at COP28 and beyond

This blog was authored by Pedro Martins Barata, AVP for Carbon Markets and Private Sector Decarbonization at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Since the Glasgow COP two years ago, there have been growing expectations to transform the market-based cooperation approaches outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement into practical, effective actions for reducing global emissions. Article 6 is not just another clause in an international treaty; it serves as a practical framework for cooperative climate action that has the potential to unlock higher ambition for reducing carbon emissions and adaptation actions. As COP28 unfolds, it is set to complete the development stage of these mechanisms, paving the way for tangible, impactful action in the near future. 

There are three cooperative approaches described in the text of Article 6, commonly referred to by the paragraphs in which they appear…