Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the status and challenges of Article 6 (A6) of the Paris Agreement leading into and during COP29. It details the three mechanisms for international climate cooperation: Article 6.2 (bilateral trading), Article 6.4 (a UN-governed global market), and Article 6.8 (non-market approaches). The document highlights critical integrity concerns, including the risk of double counting, the lack of transparency in bilateral deals, and the controversy surrounding the use of REDD+ activities and emissions avoidance credits. It specifically notes that operational standards for A6.4 were adopted on the first day of COP29, a move criticized by some observers for lacking transparency.

• Article 6 consists of three distinct mechanisms: Article 6.2 allows for decentralized bilateral trading of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs); Article 6.4 establishes a centralized global carbon market overseen by a Supervisory Body (SB) to produce A6.4ER credits; and Article 6.8 provides a framework for non-market approaches (NMA) such as technology transfer and development aid.
• Operational standards for Article 6.4 were adopted on the first day of COP29, though critics argue this "backdoor deal" occurred without sufficient time for debate or transparency. Further agreements are still required regarding carbon credit registries and rules for authorization, transparency, and reporting before A6.4 is fully operational.
• Article 6.2 faces significant integrity risks due to a lack of transparency and oversight. Countries can treat details of carbon trading as confidential without providing explanations, and the review team's ability to make findings public or impose consequences has been weakened.
• There is a strong push to exclude 'emissions avoidance' credits from both A6.2 and A6.4 to protect environmental integrity. A decision made in Bonn in June 2024 confirmed that emissions avoidance will not be allowed under these mechanisms, with the topic not open for reconsideration until 2028.
• The Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) is promoting the use of REDD+ Result Units (RRUs) as 'sovereign' credits under Article 6.2, even though RRUs lack the fixed methodology required for a carbon standard. The CfRN's for-profit spin-off, ITMO Ltd., has signed MoUs with countries including Belize, Honduras, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to sell these as ITMOs.
• The voluntary carbon market (VCM) is heavily influenced by A6 decisions, particularly regarding double counting and the use of 'non-authorised' credits. While A6 does not directly regulate the VCM, standard-setters like Verra and Gold Standard are developing labels for credits authorized by host countries under A6 to maintain credibility.
• A6.4 includes a requirement that 2% of issued credits be cancelled for Overall Mitigation of Global Emissions (OMGE) and 5% be forwarded to a global adaptation fund. This makes A6.4 more costly than A6.2, potentially leading countries to favor the bilateral mechanism.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/article-6-of-the-paris-agreement-at-cop29/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/article-6-of-the-paris-agreement-at-cop29/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29 |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=17 May 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/article-6-of-the-paris-agreement-at-cop29/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024article, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP29}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/policy/article-6-of-the-paris-agreement-at-cop29/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }