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Carbon Market Watch urges the UN Article 6.4 Supervisory Body to reject current drafts of the appeal and grievance processes and the sustainable development tool, arguing they contain insufficient human rights safeguards and create barriers to redress for affected communities.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the draft Article 6.4 sustainable development tool prioritizes national legal requirements over international standards, which undermines the mandate for robust social and environmental safeguards. The organization calls for a structured consultation of at least one month with rights-holders, including Indigenous Peoples, and recommends that the tool mandate the application of safeguard criteria rather than making them optional. Key concerns include the artificial time boundary of monitoring impacts only during the crediting period and the limitation of recognizing Indigenous legal systems only when they are consistent with national legislation.

The document provides a roadmap for Brazil to lead international efforts in reforming the global financial architecture, promoting country platforms for investment, and addressing gaps in adaptation and nature finance. It emphasizes the need for the G20 to scale up resources for Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) and suggests that Brazil lead by example by structuring its own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through a functional country platform by 2025.

The report identifies that climate change creates systemic stressors for the UK Home Office, ranging from direct threats to public health and infrastructure to indirect risks like societal polarization and organized crime. It argues that the Home Office must move from a reactive to a proactive posture by establishing a high-level climate security policy initiative. The proposed Action Plan is built on four pillars: exercising sustained leadership, understanding and anticipating risks through better data and literacy, collaborating with domestic and international partners, and implementing specific preventative measures to protect citizens and maintain social cohesion.

The document evaluates the Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement to identify effective mechanisms for production controls. It argues that legally binding national targets and a mandatory global target are superior to voluntary commitments. Key recommendations for the plastics treaty include establishing a global production target with a past-year baseline, implementing national phasedown schedules, banning the expansion of production facilities (specifically ethylene plants), and eliminating production subsidies.

The document argues that Brazil has a unique opportunity during its G20 presidency and the lead-up to COP30 to champion more equitable and effective climate finance. It identifies critical gaps in funding for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) and proposes reforms to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and the IMF. Key recommendations include the use of 'national platforms' to align NDCs with economic development, the integration of climate risks into investment portfolios, and the promotion of nature-based financing and adaptation funding.

The author argues that the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) failed to produce tangible progress on climate-related trade issues due to geopolitical tensions and opposition from members like India. While some plurilateral initiatives and external coalitions showed modest activity, the document suggests that success should now be measured by the revitalization of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment and the development of non-binding codes of conduct rather than binding multilateral agreements.

The document outlines the two primary types of carbon markets—cap-and-trade and carbon crediting systems—and distinguishes between compliance markets, which are based on obligatory targets, and voluntary markets used for corporate social responsibility. It highlights the role of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in establishing new international market mechanisms. The text critically assesses carbon offsetting, particularly REDD+ forestry projects, noting that they often generate exaggerated credits and lack adequate safeguards. It concludes that carbon credits cannot scientifically be proven to reliably neutralise one tonne of CO2 and recommends that companies move toward a 'climate contribution' or 'beyond value chain mitigation' (BVCM) model to provide climate finance without making misleading offsetting claims.

The report critiques the industrial agribusiness model, describing it as a network of transnational corporations and financial institutions that prioritise profit maximisation through large-scale monocultures and high-input systems. It argues that these entities promote 'false solutions'—including voluntary certifications, sustainable intensification, and regenerative agriculture—to greenwash their image, capture policy-making processes, and commodify nature through carbon markets. The document highlights the negative impacts of this model, such as deforestation in Indonesia and Brazil, human rights violations, and the displacement of small-scale farmers in Argentina, while contrasting these with 'real peoples' solutions' based on food sovereignty and agroecology.

The report critiques the industrial agri-food system, describing it as a network of producers, processors, and retailers that prioritizes profit maximization through intensive monocultures and chemical inputs. It argues that corporate-led initiatives—such as sustainability certifications, 'sustainable intensification,' and 'regenerative agriculture'—are 'false solutions' designed to greenwash industrial practices, capture carbon markets, and shift responsibility to consumers. The document highlights the negative impacts of this model, including deforestation, human rights violations, and the marginalization of small-scale farmers, while contrasting these with 'people's solutions' based on food sovereignty and agroecology.

The report critiques the industrial agribusiness model, describing it as a network of transnational companies and financial institutions that prioritize profit and scale over environmental and social health. It argues that the industry employs 'false solutions'—market-based mechanisms and corporate-led certifications—to avoid genuine regulation and maintain control over the global food system. The document highlights specific examples, including the failure of RSPO certifications in Indonesia and the impact of no-till farming in Argentina, to demonstrate how these tactics often exacerbate deforestation and undermine small-scale producers.

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is a cap-and-trade mechanism designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the power, heavy industry, aviation, and maritime sectors by pricing pollution. It operates by setting a decreasing cap on total emissions, divided into EU Allowances (EUAs), which companies can trade or buy at auction. While the system has raised over €152 billion since 2005, its effectiveness has been historically hampered by an oversupply of permits and the extensive use of free allocations to prevent 'carbon leakage'. A separate system, ETS2, will be introduced in 2027 to cover buildings and road transport. The document highlights concerns regarding the environmental integrity of the current cap relative to the EU's carbon budget and the lack of transparency in how member states spend auction revenues.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the draft procedure for appeal and grievance processes under the Article 6.4 mechanism prioritizes limiting access over upholding human rights. The organization recommends a complete rewrite based on principles of accessibility and independence, specifically calling for the removal of all fees for marginalized groups, the expansion of eligibility for grievants to include indirect and potential harms, and the implementation of diverse submission channels beyond online forms to ensure inclusivity for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The document explains the distinction between cap-and-trade systems (ETS) and baseline-and-credit mechanisms, detailing the evolution from Kyoto Protocol markets to the Paris Agreement's Article 6. It critiques carbon offsetting for enabling greenwashing and failing to reduce absolute emissions, while highlighting the specific shortcomings of CORSIA and REDD+. The guide advocates for a shift toward a 'climate contribution' approach where credits are cancelled without offsetting claims to support global climate action.

The document explains the difference between cap-and-trade systems and carbon credit mechanisms, detailing the evolution from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. It critiques carbon offsetting as a tool for greenwashing and argues for a shift toward 'climate contributions' where credits are retired without claims of neutrality.

The document serves as a comprehensive primer on carbon markets, distinguishing between emissions trading systems (cap-and-trade) and credit-based mechanisms. It details the evolution from the Kyoto Protocol's mechanisms to the Paris Agreement's Article 6, while critically assessing the risks of carbon offsetting, such as 'greenwashing' and the 'hot air' problem. The guide also examines the CORSIA framework for aviation and the private certification standards of the voluntary market, ultimately advocating for a shift from offsetting to a 'climate contribution' model.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the draft Article 6.4 appeal and grievance procedures prioritize 'abuse prevention' over 'rights protection'. The organization recommends removing financial barriers such as appeal and grievance fees, broadening eligibility for grievants to include potential and indirect adverse effects, and diversifying submission channels beyond online forms to ensure accessibility for indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). It further calls for the Supervisory Body to reopen the call for input and conduct structured consultations with rightsholders.

The document argues that while African nations have submitted ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), they face a massive climate finance gap and high debt burdens that hinder a just energy transition. It critiques previous G20 presidencies for treating developing countries as a monolith and failing to address Africa's specific needs, such as the disparity between mitigation and adaptation funding. The brief recommends that the Brazilian and South African G20 presidencies focus on increasing the flow and quality of finance through concessional capital, debt-for-nature swaps, and the re-channeling of special drawing rights, while also enhancing Africa's participation in carbon markets and attracting private sector investment.

The report argues that COP28 failed to uphold human rights and was subject to corporate capture, resulting in insufficient outcomes on fossil fuel phaseouts and the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.

The document argues that the conservation of biodiversity and forests is interdependent with the respect for the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (PICL). It focuses on the concept of Territories and Areas Conserved by PICL (TICCA) and Community Forest Management (MCB), asserting that these models are vital for climate justice and preventing biodiversity loss. The brief outlines specific policy recommendations across seven key areas: self-determination, decision-making participation, land and territory rights, PICL-led conservation, protection of traditional knowledge, the right to well-being, and gender justice. It specifically warns against 'fortress conservation' that expels communities and opposes the use of financial market-based mechanisms, such as carbon markets, for conservation funding.