Purpose of the Guidance
There is considerable interest in voluntary cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
However, effective use of the cooperative approaches under Article 6 requires not only carefully considered changes in national climate policies, but also the implementation of the associated and complex accounting and reporting requirements.
A national transparency system is the key guarantee for ensuring environmental integrity and the early detection of serious risks to national and global climate change mitigation (or avoidance) objectives through the cooperative approaches under Article 6. This is why monitoring and reporting of Article 6 activities should be fully integrated into national transparency systems.
This guidance is intended to support countries considering participation in activities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and in particular to understand the associated reporting and accounting requirements. Article 6 sets the ground rules for international carbon markets and non-market approaches.
It is closely linked to other elements of the Paris Agreement, in particular Article 13, which sets out the enhanced framework for transparency (EFT).
Another objective is to provide stakeholders with an understanding of the opportunities and risks associated with participation in Article 6, as well as the requirements and conditions for their participation.
Target Audience The document is primarily intended for policymakers and technical staff in developing countries, addressing both managerial and technical requirements.