Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement refers to voluntary cooperation between Parties to achieve their climate action goals without involving the transaction of carbon or quid pro quo operations. It underscores the importance of non-market approaches in promoting sustainable development, enhancing mitigation and adaptation actions, and strengthening overall resilience to climate change.

Recognizing that market-based measures alone cannot address the full spectrum of climate challenges, Article 6.8 provides a framework for exploring alternative methods to meet nationally determined contributions. By encouraging collaboration, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, it fosters partnerships that advance climate action beyond market mechanisms.

Articles 6.2, 6.4 and 6.8 of the Paris Agreement outline voluntary cooperation that Parties may use to achieve their climate goals, such as those outlined in nationally determined contributions, while increasing ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions. However, while Articles 6.2 and 6.4 are concerned with market-based mechanisms, Article 6.8 focuses on non-market approaches to climate action.

The key difference lies in the transferability of mitigation outcomes:

• Articles 6.2 and 6.4 may involve the transfer of mitigation outcomes between Parties.
• Article 6.8 does not involve the transfer of mitigation outcomes.

Both market and non-market approaches under Article 6 aim to promote sustainable development.

Article 6.9 defines the framework for non-market approaches to sustainable development to promote the non-market approaches referred to in Article 6.8.

Specifically, the current work programme is being conducted under this framework (Article 6.9), while non-market approaches themselves are detailed in Article 6.8.

The GCNMA was established by Decision 4/CMA.3 at COP 26 / CMA 3 in Glasgow. Its purpose is to implement the framework and the work programme under Article 6.8 by providing Parties with opportunities for non-market-based cooperation to implement mitigation and adaptation actions in their nationally determined contributions.

The GCNMA is convened by the Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and operates in accordance with the procedures applicable to contact groups under the guidance of the Chair. It meets in conjunction with the first and second sessional period meeting of the SBSTA each year, starting with SBSTA 56 in June 2022.

During COP 29 / CMA 6, the GCNMA completed an expedited and simple assessment of the first phase of the work programme and provided recommendations for the second phase. Phase 2, which started in 2025, will focus on full implementation of work programme activities, drawing on inputs from Phase 1.

Decision 7/CMA.6 invited Parties and non-Party stakeholders to undertake intersessional work by submitting their views on the following topics:

(a) Barriers to using the NMA Platform and potential solutions, with a view to enabling the NMA Platform to be used to its full potential;
(b) Their engagement with the NMA Platform and the challenges encountered in unlocking its full potential;
(c) How non-market approaches can support a Party’s implementation of its nationally determined contribution.

Submissions were requested by 31 March 2025 and are available on the submission portal (search for 'non-market approaches').

Non-market approaches under Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement are voluntary international cooperation initiatives that do not involve the transfer of mitigation outcomes.

Non-market approaches should be aligned with the below criteria, which stem from Decision 4/CMA.3. Within this scope, non-market approaches can take many forms, including capacity-building programmes, projects to develop clean energy technologies, and grants, concessional loans or other funding mechanisms to support climate-resilient development initiatives.

The three initial focus areas for non-market approaches as agreed to by the GCNMA are:

(a) Adaptation, resilience and sustainability;
(b) Mitigation measures to address climate change and contribute to sustainable development; and
(c) Development of clean energy sources.

Parties provide information on how their programme, project or other initiative meets the above criteria when they record it as a non-market approach under Article 6.8 on the NMA Platform.

For any specific questions about identifying non-market approaches in line with the criteria, please consult with the secretariat via email at nma-platform@unfccc.int.

Visit the NMA Platform for examples of non-market approaches.

Anyone interested in non-market approaches can participate in the identification, implementation and scaling-up of initiatives. However, only Parties can register non-market approaches on the NMA Platform.

Non-Party stakeholders working on non-market approaches can:

• Register as support providers on the NMA Platform;
• Assist Parties in identifying potential non-market approaches from existing programmes and projects; and
• Assist Parties with preparing their submissions to the NMA Platform using the offline form.

The meetings and workshops of the GCNMA are open to both Party and non-Party stakeholders (though only Parties can participate in the negotiations). In addition, invitations to submit views on specific topics through the submission portal are generally extended to both Party and non-Party stakeholders.

Non-market approaches under Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement support the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by offering alternative mechanisms to achieve climate goals. These approaches are designed to complement, not replace, market-based mechanisms and provide additional tools for Parties, particularly developing countries, to meet their climate targets.

The NMA Platform serves as a database for recording and sharing non-market approaches, but it does not replace any existing NDC reporting requirements. Parties are still required to report on their NDCs separately, ensuring transparency and accountability in their climate actions.

The NMA Platform can be found at https://unfccc.int/nma-platform. It serves as a space for Parties to record their non-market approaches and allows Parties and non-Party stakeholders to exchange information on experiences and lessons learned. It is an essential component of the work programme on non-market approaches.

In addition, the NMA Platform offers several other key functions:

• The Support available section allows users to search for financial, technical and capacity-building support available for non-market approaches. Any organization offering support for non-market approaches can register themselves as a support provider here.
• The Information hub serves as a centralized resource to share and exchange information related to non-market approaches. It includes details of events, documents, technical papers, reports and other resources relevant to Article 6.8.
• The Forum provides an interactive space for stakeholders to discuss topics related to non-market approaches.

All recorded non-market approaches are available under the Non-market approaches section on the NMA Platform. The full list appears at the bottom of the page and participating Parties are highlighted on the map.

To find specific non-market approaches, use the search bar, filters or map. The results will be shown at the bottom of the page.

To view detailed information on a specific non-market approach, click ‘View details’.

Parties can record their non-market approaches on the NMA Platform via their designated Article 6.8 national focal points by accessing the National focal point section on the platform.

• Upon logging in, users can click on the ‘Submit a new non-market approach’ button to create a new draft.
• An offline form is also available for drafting purposes.

For step-by-step instructions on submissions, users can consult the user manual: https://unfccc.int/documents/638334.

A webinar video is also available for guidance on completing submissions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8VLzTfDTmE (note that subtitles in English, French and Spanish are available by clicking on 'Settings' in the video).

A Party cannot record an initiative on the NMA Platform unless it involves at least one other participating Party. As outlined in Decision 4/CMA.3, Annex, paragraph 3(b), each non-market approach facilitated under the framework for non-market approaches involves more than one participating Party.

The NMA Platform is designed to record existing non-market approaches that align with the framework, meaning initiatives that already involve international cooperation. A domestic initiative that does not yet engage another Party would not meet the criteria for recording.

However, if a Party is considering how its initiative could evolve into a non-market approach, it could explore ways to facilitate international engagement to meet this requirement.

Recording non-market approaches on the NMA Platform provides Parties with a valuable opportunity to increase the visibility and recognition of their climate action efforts. This can include initiatives that complement a Party’s market-based approaches, demonstrating a holistic strategy for addressing climate change.

The NMA Platform also offers Parties the chance to highlight the co-benefits of their climate actions, such as poverty reduction, social inclusion and sustainable development – all of which are key priorities for non-market approaches.

Additionally, the NMA Platform may serve as a tool for attracting interest from donors and organizations seeking to support innovative and inclusive climate solutions, further fostering international collaboration and resource mobilization for non-market approaches.

The NMA Platform is a database designed for information sharing, not a reporting mechanism. It provides a space for Parties to record and showcase their non-market approaches to climate action.

While it supports transparency and knowledge exchange, the NMA Platform does not replace or supersede other reporting requirements related to climate action, such as those related to nationally determined contributions or the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

The NMA Platform complements these reporting systems by offering a centralized location to highlight non-market initiatives without altering formal reporting processes.

Non-Party stakeholders offering financial, technological and/or capacity-building support for non-market approaches can register their organization as a support provider on the Support available section of the NMA Platform.

Non-Party stakeholders can use the NMA Forum function to discuss Article 6.8 topics with other participants.

All support registered on the NMA Platform can be accessed under the Support available section of the NMA Platform. The full list appears at the bottom of the page and on the map by region.

To find specific support available, use the search bar, filters or map. The results will be shown at the bottom of the page.

To access more detailed information, visit the organization’s website or email the contact person listed.

The Information hub on the NMA Platform includes data, information on events and meetings, resources related to Article 6.8 and links to related websites:

• Data at a glance: Key statistics based on information recorded on the NMA Platform, displayed in a series of graphs and charts.
• Events & meetings: Access a list of past events by clicking ‘See all’ or navigating with the arrows. Click on an event box to view related materials, including reports and copies of presentations.
• Resources: Browse past CMA decisions, technical papers and synthesis reports by the secretariat, and other useful materials. Click ‘View details’ to access or download materials.

The NMA Platform is available only in English, however some resources are offered in additional languages.

• While negotiations on Article 6.8 are conducted in English, translations of decisions and conclusions are provided in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
• Certain pre-session documents, such as workshop reports, are typically also available in all six official UN languages.
• The NMA Platform webinar video for Article 6.8 national focal points is available with subtitles in English, French and Spanish (click on 'Settings' in the video).

For more information in other languages, please explore the Regional Collaboration Centres.

You can find materials related to the use of the NMA Platform under ‘Resources’ on the Information hub:

• User manual for the NMA Platform: A step-by-step guide for Article 6.8 national focal points on the non-market approach submission process.
• List of Article 6.8 national focal points: Contact details for current Article 6.8 national focal points, allowing stakeholders to collaborate.
• Non-market approach submission offline form: A downloadable Word template to draft and collaborate on non-market approaches before submission.
• NMA Platform webinar video: Explains the background of Article 6.8, non-market approaches and NMA Platform functionalities.

The NMA Forum is an open, public discussion space for all stakeholders involved in implementing Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement. It is a key component of the NMA Platform.

As per paragraph 11 of decision 8/CMA.4, this dedicated space was designed to:

• Facilitate networking among active users of the NMA Platform; and
• Present information on non-market approaches, including information identified through implementing the work programme, such as information on non-market approaches resulting from in-session workshops and their reports.

The NMA Forum is moderated by the UNFCCC secretariat. However, moderators do not review posts before they go live and are not responsible for the content posted by users.

Moderators reserve the right to remove any content that violates the Forum Guidelines to ensure discussions remain constructive and respectful.

The NMA Forum is open to all Party and non-Party stakeholders who are engaged or interested in the implementation of Article 6.8.

All content on the NMA Forum can be viewed publicly, however, users must register for an account to post. To create a user account, please visit the login page.

If you are an Article 6.8 national focal point or representing a Party or an affiliate organization (i.e., accredited organizations that are linked to or recognized by the UNFCCC, including observers, UN bodies and intergovernmental organizations), you may log in using your existing UNFCCC user account. Please click on 'Party sign in' on the right side of the login page. All other stakeholders should sign in using the box on the left side of the login page.

Once registered, users are able to:

• Reply to existing posts;
• Create new discussion threads; and
• Subscribe to threads and receive notifications.

To join the conversation, registered users can reply to posts in existing threads or start their own threads. A useful place to start is the "Welcome to the NMA Forum" thread, where uses can introduce themselves.

A user guide with complete instructions is available at: https://unfccc.int/documents/646506.

To ensure a constructive and respectful discussion space, all users are required to follow the Forum Guidelines.

Registered users can report posts that violate the Forum Guidelines to UNFCCC moderators using the NMA Forum's report function.

Only Parties to the Paris Agreement are able to record non-market approaches on the NMA Platform. To enable this, Parties can nominate an Article 6.8 national focal point who is granted access to a dedicated section of the NMA Platform.

Article 6.8 national focal points also serve as a contact point between the Party and the UNFCCC secretariat, facilitating the communication of official information regarding the progress of implementing decisions related to non-market approaches.

Article 6.8 national focal points can submit their non-market approaches to the NMA Platform by logging into the National focal point section.

A list of national focal points for Article 6.8 is available at: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nma-platform/list-of-NFPs-A6-8.

Parties should formally notify the UNFCCC secretariat of their Article 6.8 national focal points. To do this, Parties should take the following steps:

Parties may also send an email to nma-platform@unfccc.int with the information listed above. This email should either be sent by a Party’s UNFCCC national focal point or include the UNFCCC national focal point in copy.

To update the designated Article 6.8 national focal point, Parties should send an email to nma-platform@unfccc.int with an official letter from their UNFCCC national focal point requesting the change. 

This letter should include the following information about the new national focal point for Article 6.8:

• Full name of the designated Article 6.8 national focal point. 
• Title and position of the designated Article 6.8 national focal point. 
• Phone number and email address of the designated Article 6.8 national focal point. 

Parties may also change their Article 6.8 national focal points by sending an email to nma-platform@unfccc.int with the information listed above. This email should either originate from a Party's UNFCCC national focal point or include the Party's UNFCCC national focal point in copy.

A support provider is any organization offering financial assistance, technology development and transfer, and/or capacity-building for non-market approaches. This includes, but is not limited to, United Nations bodies, multilateral and bilateral donors, public sector entities, private sector organizations and non-governmental organizations.

To register any support available for non-market approaches, organizations can visit the Support available section of the NMA Platform. Once on the page, click the ‘Register as a support provider’ button, which is located above the map, and complete the form with all the required details.

UNFCCC will review the registration and publish the details on the NMA Platform.

Since non-market approaches are defined as voluntary international cooperation between at least two Parties, only Parties are eligible to register non-market approaches on the NMA Platform. 

However, if non-Party stakeholders are working with Parties on existing initiatives that meet the criteria for non-market approaches (for instance, as an implementing partner), they can support the recording of that initiative on the NMA Platform by engaging with their Party counterparts. 

An offline form is available to facilitate a collaborative drafting process, though only Parties have access to the actual online submission form.