In mid-June 2022, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) launched the “Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation” or SPAR6C Program. The 5-year, €20.4 million project is funded by the International Climate Initiative of Germany (IKI).
SPAR6C aims to enhance readiness of Colombia, Pakistan, Thailand and Zambia to participate in the international carbon market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. To achieve this, the project will work to increase private sector engagement in NDC implementation and to support raising climate ambition in partner countries.
UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre will lead implementation of the program in Pakistan and support implementation in Zambia, and will be co-leading activities that will build a High-Ambition international Community of Practice, and contributing to the creation of an Article 6 toolbox for countries.
Best in class
The High-Ambition Community of Practice will facilitate knowledge sharing and political dialogue to find ‘best in class’ solutions that can be deployed broadly, as well as inform the implementation of global standards under Article 6.
This practical ‘learning by doing’ approach will actively include diverse voices with an emphasis on reaching young people in target countries. This approach is more likely to engage the private sector and thereby ensure wider engagement nationally.
Based on national knowledge development, UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre will facilitate that lessons learned will be shared regionally and globally, looping back to enhance in-country learning.
The High-Ambition Community of Practice and the lessons shared will build on the work of other initiatives and strategic partnerships such as the Sustainable Development Initiative for Article 6, Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) and coordinate closely with the UNFCCC and its regional centres.
Guidance and tools that can adapt
Contributing to the creation of an Article 6 toolbox, UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and the SPAR6C consortium will draw upon the experiences in international Article 6 pilot design to develop guidance and tools to be deployed in the target countries.
A core principle will be adaptability to different scenarios to fit the political framework conditions over the course of the project. The activities would include a series of guidance documents and tools including:
- a guide for developing an A6 strategy for host countries.
- a guide for increasing climate ambition through A6.
- a guide for developing a host country governance framework, which could be adapted to each target country.
- a guide to integrating A6 with other carbon pricing instruments.
- a guide for developing A6 pilots and transactions.
- a guide to A6 contractual options and models for disbursing carbon finance
- a later phase to develop, expand, revise and/or tailor guides and related tools according to country needs.