With COP30 starting imminently in Belém, the Project Developer Forum (PD Forum) has issued its key priorities for advancing international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
As negotiations shift from rule-making to implementation, the PD Forum is calling on parties and observers to focus on practical, transparent frameworks that build trust and unlock investment in high-integrity climate action.
“Article 6 is moving from the rulebook to the real world at COP30,” said Nick Marshall, Chair of the PD Forum. “We need frameworks that enable private finance to flow and climate projects to scale, not create bureaucratic bottlenecks that stall progress.”
The PD FORUM COP30 Wishlist
1. Predictable and transparent cost structures
Establish clear, stable frameworks for fees and levies on Article 6 activities. Predictable costs enable developers and investors to model returns with confidence, accelerating capital deployment. Host countries should announce pragmatic fee structures aligned with Article 6 principles.
2. Nuanced approach to benefit-sharing
Guarantee that communities receive fair, direct benefits while recognising that delivery models must vary across project types and geographies. Flexible frameworks should allow benefit-sharing to be tailored to local contexts.
3. Intelligent and inclusive authorisation
Encourage parties to authorise eligible projects retroactively to 2021, the start of the current NDC period. This would acknowledge early climate action and stabilise market confidence. Bilateral agreements between countries would send powerful demand signals.
4. Streamlined project approval and issuance processes
Create a single, coherent pathway from project approval to credit issuance. Avoid fragmented, year-by-year reviews that introduce uncertainty and disrupt financial planning.
5. Legal certainty for corresponding adjustments
Strengthen legal foundations to ensure that corresponding adjustments (CAs) for project emissions reductions are enforceable, transparent, and protected from arbitrary reversal. Two pioneering approaches demonstrate what is possible:
- Thailand-Switzerland bilateral agreement: South Pole delivered the first Article 6 ITMOs with CAs under a stable regulatory framework that reduces uncertainty and builds confidence for project developers and investors.
- Zimbabwe’s immediate authorisation model: Cicada Carbon received the first tradable Article 6 carbon credits with CAs, with Zimbabwe simultaneously updating its national reporting to reflect this. This enabled immediate trading on international markets under systems like CORSIA, effectively eliminating reversal risk.
These models should be replicated globally. Where this isn’t possible, insurance products must be available to cover reversal risk, especially for least developed countries (LDCs) that need carbon finance most but may face higher risk premiums. Without this certainty, developers will avoid certain jurisdictions, blocking finance from reaching communities most affected by climate change.
6. Government continuity and capacity
Retain dedicated, experienced personnel in ministries and agencies responsible for Article 6 implementation. Institutional consistency is essential for sustained progress.
7. Accelerated registry development
Prioritise the UNFCCC registry to enable international trading of Article 6.4 credits. This infrastructure is critical for moving from planning to practice and demonstrating that global carbon markets can deliver at scale.
Developer Input Matters
The PD Forum also encourages the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) to adopt a more inclusive approach to methodology development, engaging project developers, who possess deep technical and field experience, throughout the drafting process, not just during consultations.
“By adopting these recommendations, COP30 can help ensure Article 6 fulfils its potential to deliver measurable climate outcomes, mobilise private finance, and ensure equitable benefit-sharing across the Global South,” added Marshall.
The PD Forum and its members remain committed to supporting parties, host governments, and multilateral institutions in implementing robust, inclusive, and transparent frameworks for international carbon markets.