During COP27, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) along with UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre launched the Community of Practice for Article 6 Implementing Countries (CoP-ASIC).
The CoP-ASIC is one component of “Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation” or SPAR6C, a program of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). As one of the largest Article 6 technical assistance programs globally, SPAR6C aims to substantially contribute to the future development of the Article 6 carbon market by building capacity and confidence in market participation among its four partner countries: Colombia, Pakistan, Thailand and Zambia.
Global best practice
The CoP-ASIC will facilitate knowledge exchange between practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and experts who share common challenges and are interested learning from each other as they design their institutional arrangements and mitigation activities for Article 6 transactions. The launch event for CoP-ASIC took place on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
In opening remarks at the event, Malin Ahlberg of the BMWK contextualized the launch to SPAR6C’s focus on operationalizing Article 6 and providing practical, actionable tools and advice in partner countries. “The experiences from these four countries will feed into research, a toolbox of guides, and eventually global best practice that can be available for other countries who wish to participate in cooperative approaches under Article 6.”
Marshall Brown, SPAR6C Global Program Manager from GGGI described the links between the program’s six components, and emphasized the great opportunities for mutual learning and long-term market impact.
Knowledge in focus
Karen Olsen, Senior Researcher at UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, consortium co-lead of the CoP-ASIC, described the initiative’s three-pronged approach: knowledge generation, knowledge exchange and knowledge application. The CoP-ASIC will work closely with universities and research institutions to mentor up to 40 graduate student researchers and provide them a forum to share their knowledge among government and private sector practitioners in annual meetings. The first annual meeting will be held in June 2023 in Bonn, Germany around the 58th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies.
Panelists in the session included representatives from SPAR6C countries. Each described their unique interests and context in Article 6 participation which can be shared in the CoP-ASIC, such as bridging finance gaps for green investment in Zambia, ensuring adaptation co-benefits in Pakistan, clarifying the processes and procedures for private sector in Thailand, and inclusive decision-making processes to safeguard environmental and social integrity of market activities in Colombia.
Representatives from the four SPAR6C countries included: Mr. John Msimuko, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Green Economy and Environment of Zambia; Ms. Nareerat Panmanee, Director of Climate Change Management and Coordination Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand; Ms. Rossana Romero, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia; and Ms. Syeda Hadika Jamshaid, Climate Change Specialist, Ministry of Climate Change of Pakistan.
SPAR6C implementation is led by GGGI, supported by a consortium of partners consisting of UNEP Copenhagen Climate Center (UNEP-CCC), GFA Consulting Group GmbH, Kommunalkredit Public Consulting, and Carbon Limits AS.
