Procedural background
- Acknowledgment of decision 2/CMP.16: CMA 3 appreciated the decision that allocated funds for expediting the implementation of the Article 6.4 mechanism.
- Request for a capacity-building programme: CMA 3 requested the secretariat, in consultation with Parties, to design and implement a capacity-building program to assist Parties in voluntarily participating in the Article 6.4 mechanism.
- Supervisory Body Feedback: The Supervisory Body provided feedback on the secretariat's capacity-building efforts and requested regular updates.
- Concept Note and Implementation: The secretariat prepared a concept note for the Article 6 capacity-building program, which is now being implemented based on the guidance from the Supervisory Body.
Article 6 capacity-building work programme launch at COP 27
After a year of consultation, the road ahead for work under Article 6 comes into focus.
The COP27 UN Climate Change Conference held from 6 to 18 November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, opens an opportunity to accelerate action on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement with the launch of a Work Programme that will enable countries to implement cooperative approaches to market solutions.
Decisions in Glasgow on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement outlined specific focus areas for capacity-building for Article 6.2 and Article 6.4. This is important because the relevance of cooperative approaches for NDC implementation has doubled, with the number of countries indicating they plan to use voluntary cooperation increasing from 46% to 85% in new and updated NDCs.
UN Climate Change mitigation division hosted this COP 27 event to launch the Article 6 capacity-building work programme to support the implementation of Article 6. The event served as the official launch of the Article 6 capacity-building work programme and an opportunity for governments and stakeholders to provide inputs to the Work Programme.
Capacity-building for Article 6
The Article 6 capacity-building work programme has been developed to identify institutional needs such as strengthening the infrastructure and knowledge base, ensuring the availability of well-structured information that is easy to understand by all stakeholders, identifying appropriate types of capacity building and enhancing technical capacity for determining baseline, monitoring and reporting.
The Work Programme is designed for implementation over three to five years:
- Phase 1 – Focus on awareness raising and readiness of Parties for Article 6 implementation for the first year
- Phase 2 – Continuous capacity-building activities over two to four years after successful implementation of Phase 1
To develop an efficient and effective Article 6 capacity-building work programme, a thorough assessment of capacity building needs, priorities and challenges of the countries and regions was conducted. Consultations with diverse stakeholders was also performed. UN Climate Change carried out the needs assessment in four stages:
- Three virtual regional dialogues on Article 6 were held throughout the year and organized with the RCCs
- A survey was performed on capacity-building needs for cooperative approaches referred to in Article 6
- Survey results were shared and validated at an SB 56 side event, at Regional Climate Weeks and at a hybrid workshop for Article 6.2 and 6.4 held in October 2022
- The Work Programme was presented to the Article 6.4 Subsidiary Body for input
Designated National Authorities (DNAs) were engaged in this process at DNA meetings held during the Regional Climate Weeks – LACCW 2022 in Latin America and the Caribbean and ACW 2022 in Africa.
Focus areas and achievements
- Enhanced Capacity: The secretariat strengthened its resources and onboarding process, including regional experts, to support capacity-building activities.
- Staffing for Support: Positions are being filled to provide effective support for capacity-building, including developing strategies and facilitating collaboration.
- Collaboration and Partnerships: Collaborative efforts with the Governments and other alliances have been initiated to enhance capacity and knowledge exchange.
- Regional Engagement: Workshops, training programs, and webinars were conducted in different regions to promote knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.
- Synergy and Coordination: Efforts were made to ensure coherence and coordination with other initiatives and activities, fostering joint planning and collaboration.
- Understanding Needs, Technical Assistance, and Knowledge-Sharing:
- Stakeholder Engagement: The secretariat continued efforts to understand stakeholders' capacity-building needs and incorporated feedback into the information note.
- Technical Assistance: Technical workshops and missions were conducted to provide support and address clarifications from stakeholders.
- Knowledge-Sharing: Various initiatives were launched, including online courses, webinars, and training programs, to facilitate knowledge-sharing on Article 6 implementation.
- Regional capacity-building resources: Stakeholders can access online courses, training programs, and webinars offered by the secretariat's Regional Collaboration Centers (RCCs) and other organizations.
