Article 6.2 is an important element of the Paris Agreement that creates a system for global collaboration by utilizing Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). This provision allows countries to voluntarily exchange emission reductions or removals, helping them achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in a more cost-efficient manner while ensuring environmental integrity is upheld.
Under Article 6.2, countries engage in bilateral or multilateral agreements to transfer mitigation outcomes, with requirements for authorization, tracking, and reporting managed through electronic registries and a centralized accounting platform to ensure transparency and avoid double counting. Participating countries must have designated national authorities, maintain national inventories, and publicly disclose how their cooperation supports sustainable development and NDC achievement.
Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs): These are tradable units representing reductions or removals of greenhouse gas emissions that countries can exchange internationally. ITMOs facilitate cooperation by allowing nations to buy or sell carbon credits to help meet their climate objectives.
Voluntary Cooperation: Article 6.2 encourages countries to participate voluntarily, enabling them to enter into bilateral or multilateral agreements to transfer mitigation outcomes.
To prevent the double counting of emission reductions, countries are required to adjust their greenhouse gas inventories accordingly when ITMOs are transferred. This ensures that each emission reduction is accounted for only once in climate commitments.
The framework mandates rigorous accounting, clear transparency, and thorough reporting to guarantee that transferred mitigation outcomes are genuine, additional, and verifiable.
Article 6.2 promotes projects that advance sustainable development goals, delivering both social and environmental benefits alongside emission reductions.
Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement provides a structured, transparent, and cooperative framework for countries to trade emission reductions internationally via ITMOs. It helps ensure environmental integrity while enabling cost-effective achievement of climate goals and fostering sustainable development worldwide.