Guidance for the Interim – Discussing the San José principles and bilateral agreements to promote sustainable development and integrity in carbon markets – 18 November 2020

Background and workshop objectives
In the absence of a global ‘rulebook’ for carbon markets, the San Jose Principles describe how some
Parties envision a fair and robust carbon market to be developed for high ambition and
environmental integrity. Other activities to operationalise Article 6 are progressing as well. In
October 2020, the governments of Peru and Switzerland agreed on the cooperative implementation
of mitigation activities in Peru. The agreement establishes provisions that avoid double counting and
safeguard environmental integrity and sustainable development impacts of GHG reductions.

Against this background, the Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) by UNEP DTU Partnership and
the Gold Standard Foundation has partnered with Wuppertal Institute to organize a virtual workshop
to discuss options on how to ensure high ambition and integrity of future carbon markets in the
absence of a rulebook. Party representatives, pilot programme managers and practitioners are
invited to share outcomes and views on a high-level event on the San Jose principles hosted by Costa
Rica, 30 October 2020. Moreover, the event will provide firsthand information on the principles that
guided the negotiations of the Article 6 agreement between Peru and Switzerland.

The workshop aims to identify and discuss ideas and opportunities to form a community of practice,
which may evolve from the San Jose Principles and the agreement of Peru and Switzerland to guide
ongoing pilot work by practitioners and inform a final outcome for an Article 6 rulebook expected at
COP26 in Glasgow, 2021.

Workshop agenda

• Welcome and introductions (Christof Arens, Wuppertal Institute)
  Updates on the San José principles process – (Felipe de Leon, Ministry of Environment, Costa Rica)
• Principles to ensure high ambition and integrity of GHG reductions: the bilateral Art. 6 agreement between Peru and Switzerland, Lorenzo Alejandro Eguren, Ministry of Environment, Peru
• Sharing of views – reactions from different stakeholder perspectives, V.K. Duggal, Asian Development Bank, Axel Michaelowa, Perspectives and Owen Hewlett, Gold Standard Foundation
• Promoting sustainable development and forming a community of practicebased on the principles – Karen Olsen, Sustainable Development Initiative / UNEP DTU Partnership.