Cheat Sheet for Understanding Article 6
A glossary built from hallway conversations, missed explanations, and the moment I realized most people were just nodding along.
SBSTA62 is knocking on our door, so I thought I’d share this with you.
It all starts in In Madrid and Glasgow I had a large team cover Article 6, some were seasoned. But most just heard about carbon markets.
And when they watched negotiators argue about it, it was completely foreign to them. Not only was it technical. But, same pattern as always: Smart people talking past each other because they're using the same words to mean different things.
By day five in Sharm, I started building my own glossary. Not the official definitions.
The ones that actually helped me follow what's happening in the room.
Stuck on vocabulary
Here’s what I see.
Every morning I report back to the caucus, and when I say something like "additionality" half the room nods while the other half has no clue what’s going on.
The newer Indigenous representatives zone out first. They can't keep up with the technical jargon that shifts meaning depending on who's talking.
That's when I realized: Clarity is diplomacy.
When coordinating Indigenous Peoples in hyper technical and complex matters, it’s important that you’re not dunking them in more complex definitions. Make a pro-active effort to use simpler ones that everyone can actually use.
How I do it? I make it contextual, and relatable. I simplify, but I don’t dumb it down.
When I was asked to explain Article 6 for an interview "in plain language," I had that aha moment. A glossary.
So, here it is, in all its simple and stupid glory.
Enjoy!
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Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
Think of Article 6 like international trading rules for climate action. States can work together. They trade "carbon credits" to fight climate change more effectively.
The Big Picture
Article 6
Lets States team up to fight climate change. Instead of each country working alone, they can trade carbon credits and share clean technology.
Paris Agreement
The big 2015 climate deal where almost every State promised to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to prevent dangerous global warming.
NDCs (Climate Promises)
Each Party’s individual promise about how much they'll cut emissions. Think of it like everyone setting their own goal for a group fitness challenge.
The Two Main Trading Systems
Article 6.2 - Direct Country Trading
Like a farmers market where two States make a direct deal. Germany might pay Kenya to plant forests, then Germany gets to count those trees toward their climate goals.
Article 6.4 - UN-Supervised Trading
Like eBay with strict rules. The United Nations oversees everything to make sure trades are fair and real. Creates standardized carbon credits that anyone can buy.
Article 6.8 - Non-Market Approaches
States helping each other fight climate change without trading carbon credits. Think sharing technology, knowledge, or funding directly instead of through a marketplace.
The Three Types of Carbon Credits That Matter
ITMOs (International Carbon Credits)
Carbon credits that get traded between States under Article 6.2. Each one represents one ton of CO2 someone removed from the air or prevented from being released.
A6.4ERs (UN Carbon Credits)
Carbon credits made under the UN-supervised system (Article 6.4). Like ITMOs but with stricter rules and UN approval.
MCUs (Mitigation Contribution Units)
A special type of A6.4ER that doesn't get a corresponding adjustment. These are for States that want to sell carbon credits but keep the climate benefit for themselves too. Think of it like donating to charity but still getting to feel good about helping.
Carbon Credits (The Basics)
Think of these like "pollution coupons." If you prevent 1 ton of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, you get 1 credit. Someone else can buy that credit to cancel out their own pollution.
The Anti-Cheating Rules That Make or Break Deals
Corresponding Adjustment (No Double-Counting)
If Kenya sells tree credits to Germany, Kenya can't also count those same trees toward their own climate goals. It's like selling your homework. You can't also turn it in yourself.
Double Counting
When the same climate action gets counted twice. This is the biggest thing Article 6 tries to prevent.
Authorization
Official permission from the government where a project happens. Like getting a permit to sell lemonade, but for carbon credits.
Types of Climate Projects
Emission Reductions
Projects that create less pollution than normal. Examples: building solar panels instead of coal plants, making cars more fuel-efficient.
Removals
Projects that suck greenhouse gases out of the air and store them. Examples: planting forests, building machines that capture CO2 from the air.
Avoidance
Preventing expected pollution from happening. Example: protecting a forest that was going to be cut down. States still argue about whether this counts.
Quality Control
Additionality
Proving that your project only happened because of carbon credit money. If you were going to build solar panels anyway, you can't sell credits for them.
Baseline
What would have happened without your project. Like comparing your grades before and after getting a tutor. The baseline is your grades without the tutor.
Leakage
When fixing one problem creates another. Example: You protect one forest, so loggers go cut down a different forest instead.
Long-term Storage Issues
Permanence
Making sure carbon stays out of the atmosphere permanently. If you plant trees to absorb CO2, those trees need to stay alive and not get cut down or burned.
Reversals
When stored carbon gets released back into the air. Like if your forest project gets hit by wildfire. All that stored CO2 goes back into the atmosphere.
Buffer Pool
Insurance for reversals. Projects set aside extra credits so if something goes wrong, there are backup credits to cover the loss.
CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage)
Technology that captures CO2 from power plants or directly from the air, then stores it underground or in other long-term storage. Think of it like vacuum cleaning for carbon dioxide - or geoengineering.
Money and Fees
Share of Proceeds
Like a sales tax on carbon credits. 5% goes to help developing States adapt to climate change, plus admin fees.
Overall Mitigation (OMGE)
2% of all credits get destroyed to ensure the planet actually benefits. This prevents carbon trading from just moving pollution around without reducing it.
Tracking and Monitoring
Registry
Like a bank account for carbon credits. Keeps track of who owns what and prevents fraud.
Serial Numbers
Every carbon credit gets a unique ID number, like a social security number for pollution permits.
Monitoring Reports
Regular check-ups to make sure projects are working as promised. Like getting report cards for climate projects.
Crediting Period
How long a project can earn carbon credits. Most projects can earn credits for 7 to 10 years.
Before you go
Article 6 is trying to create a fair, global marketplace for climate action. The goal is to make fighting climate change better, prevent cheating, help developing countries earn money, and speed up progress.
Think of it like this: If your school wanted to reduce waste, instead of each classroom working separately, you could let the art class earn points by helping the cafeteria. Everyone wins, and the school reaches its goal faster and cheaper.
The main challenge for Indigenous Peoples is to make sure the rules are strict enough that climate action is real and doesn’t negatively impact our rights. For the UN the challenge is to keep the market flexible and simple enough so that States actually want to participate.
This glossary lives in my notebook now.
Every time someone uses one of these terms in a meeting, I know exactly what they mean. And more importantly, I know when they're using the same word to mean something different.
That's when the real negotiation begins.
See you next time!