| Publication date | Type | Title | Description | Publisher | Download | Downloads | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-07 | International carbon-market technical article | Paris Agreement Article 6.2 and 6.4: Cooperative Approaches and the Crediting Mechanism | Compares governance, authorization, corresponding adjustments, business participation and market eligibility. | Captain International | Not available | N/A | Prepared in Traditional Chinese; official sources are cited in each section. |
Article 6.2 provides accounting and reporting rules for internationally transferred mitigation outcomes. Article 6.4 establishes a crediting mechanism under the UN framework. The routes can connect and are not mutually exclusive. This article is based on official information available on 7 October 2026.
Reading guide
Go to governance, participation and authorization, accounting, integrity and costs, market links, 2026 developments, or selection steps.
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1. Foundation and governance
| Dimension | Article 6.2 cooperative approaches (ITMOs) | Article 6.4 Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal position | Voluntary cooperation between Parties using internationally transferred mitigation outcomes to achieve NDCs or other authorized international mitigation purposes. | A centralized crediting mechanism operating under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. |
| Governance | Parties design cooperative approaches under common accounting, reporting and review rules. | The Supervisory Body (SBM) establishes mechanism methodologies, activity cycles and related procedures. |
| Relationship to the Kyoto mechanisms | It should not be described directly as a replacement for Joint Implementation (JI). | Certain Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) activities may transition subject to applicable conditions. |
| Units | ITMOs are internationally transferred mitigation outcomes that meet authorization and accounting rules. | A6.4ERs are emission-reduction or removal units issued through mechanism procedures. |
| Connection between the two | May cover eligible outcomes from different cooperative approaches. | A6.4ERs with appropriate authorization may enter the Article 6.2 accounting framework. |
Sources: UNFCCC Article 6 overview, mechanism registry.
2. Participants and authorization
| Dimension | Article 6.2 | Article 6.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Role of countries | Participating Parties are responsible for participation, authorization, tracking and accounting. | The host Party handles matters such as activity approval; the SBM administers mechanism procedures. |
| Business participation | Businesses may participate under national arrangements and authorizations; participation is not limited to government procurement. | Public and private entities may participate in activities and transactions subject to participation and account-opening rules. |
| Interpreting authorization | Check the authorized entities, purpose, outcomes and first-transfer scope. Do not reduce the requirement to a generic “written authorization by both countries.” | Separately confirm activity approval, authorization of participating entities and authorization for unit use. |
| National contact point | Confirm the institutions and responsibilities under each participating country’s arrangements. | A designated national authority (DNA) is used; it should not be referred to indiscriminately as an NDA. |
Sources: International registry and public/private accounts, Article 6.4 mechanism rules.
3. Accounting and avoiding double-counting
| Dimension | Article 6.2 | Article 6.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Corresponding adjustments | Apply according to purpose and first-transfer rules. For emissions-based accounting, the transferring Party adds the amount and the acquiring Party subtracts it when used toward an NDC, avoiding a double claim. | Relevant rules apply to units authorized for NDCs or other international mitigation purposes; it is inaccurate to say that every A6.4ER is automatically subject to the same treatment. |
| Unauthorized units | Purchase or registry listing alone does not establish authorization for an international use. | Distinguish mitigation-contribution units from authorized units. The former are not automatically offset units with corresponding adjustments. |
| Tracking systems | National or international registries track outcomes. CARP supports accounting and reporting information; it is not a complete transaction registry. | The mechanism registry records units and authorization status. Connections to other registries depend on interoperability arrangements. |
| Reporting and review | Initial reports, annual information and periodic information are subject to technical expert review. | Activity documents, monitoring, verification and issuance follow the mechanism process and connect to national accounting requirements. |
Sources: CARP, Article 6 technical expert review, mechanism registry.
4. Activity rules, integrity and costs
| Dimension | Article 6.2 | Article 6.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Activity types | Depending on the cooperative approach and authorization, outcomes may include emissions reductions and removals. | May include reductions and removals subject to applicable methodologies; it is not limited to prioritizing negative emissions. |
| Additionality and baselines | Assess how the cooperative approach meets environmental-integrity requirements. | Determined under SBM methodologies and tools; do not claim categorically that mature technologies are excluded. |
| Reversal risk | Review monitoring, responsibility and remedy arrangements under the cooperative approach. | Managed under removal standards, methodologies and risk tools; do not apply a universal 15% buffer or single storage duration. |
| Overall mitigation in global emissions (OMGE) | Common rules encourage relevant contributions but do not establish the same universal mandatory cancellation rate as Article 6.4. | At least 2% of issued units are cancelled for OMGE. |
| Share of proceeds for adaptation | Support for adaptation is encouraged; check each cooperative arrangement. | General rules allocate 5% of issued units to adaptation, alongside monetary shares and applicable exceptions; this is not a 5% levy on all transaction revenue. |
| Price | Formed by activity, authorization, delivery risk and transaction terms. | No UN-wide fixed price. A fixed premium or “highest quality” claim cannot be inferred from the mechanism alone. |
Sources: Article 6.4 rules and procedures, COP decisions on share of proceeds and cancellation.
5. Oversight, transparency and market links
| Topic | How to interpret it |
|---|---|
| Oversight and transparency | Article 6.2 includes common reporting and technical review; it is not an unsupervised route. Article 6.4 has centralized mechanism rules, but implementation evidence still needs to be checked case by case. |
| Voluntary carbon markets (VCM) | Credits do not automatically become ITMOs, and there is no general rule that all A6.4ERs and VCM credits are mutually recognized. Check authorization, methodology and use rules. |
| Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) | A separate assessment framework; do not characterize it as a statutory minimum threshold for every Article 6 outcome. |
| CORSIA | Check ICAO eligibility rules for programs, vintages, units and avoidance of double claiming. A 6.2 or 6.4 label does not make a unit automatically eligible. |
| EU ETS | Do not claim automatic inclusion in 2027. Assess current limits on international credits separately from any future legislative changes. |
Sources: UNFCCC Article 6 decisions and documents, EU explanation of international credit use.
6. 2026 developments and use cases
On 26 February 2026, the UNFCCC announced approval of the first issuance of Article 6.4 mechanism credits. It is therefore outdated to say that the first issuance was merely “expected in Q2 2026.” Methodologies, registries and national authorization arrangements continue to develop, so check current information when assessing a project.
| Need | Assessment direction |
|---|---|
| Bilateral or multilateral cooperation between countries | Assess the Article 6.2 cooperative approach, authorization and accounting arrangements. |
| Centralized activity and issuance procedures | Assess Article 6.4 methodologies, host-country approval and the full activity cycle. |
| Corporate procurement | Either route may be relevant. First confirm purpose, authorization, ownership, unit status and delivery terms. |
| DAC, blue carbon or other removals | Check methodology eligibility, reversal risk and long-term responsibility; do not conclude that Article 6.4 is the only option. |
Source: UNFCCC announcement on approval of the first credit issuance.
7. Practical selection steps
- Confirm the intended use: an NDC, another international mitigation purpose or a corporate mitigation-contribution claim.
- Confirm that the activity and methodology are eligible, and obtain required approvals and authorizations.
- Check corresponding adjustments, first transfer, tracking and cancellation records.
- Assess additionality, monitoring, reversal risk, social and environmental safeguards, and delivery risk.
- Compare cost and timing only after these checks; do not judge quality or market eligibility by the mechanism name alone.