The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement,
Recalling Article1 6, paragraph 1, Parties recognize that some Parties choose to pursue voluntary cooperation in the implementation of Parties’ nationally determined contributions to allow for higher ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions and to promote sustainable development and environmental integrity,
Also recalling decision 2/CMA.3 and its annex,
Further recalling decision 1/CP.24, paragraph 43(a), according to which Parties may submit their national communication and biennial transparency report as a single report in accordance with the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the transparency framework for action and support referred to in Article 13,2
1. Adopts:
(a) The guidance relating to decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter VI.A (Tracking),
as contained in annex I;
(b) The guidelines for the Article 6 technical expert review referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter V (Review), as contained in annex II;
(c) The outline of the Article 6 technical expert review report referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter V (Review), paragraph 27, as contained in annex III;
(d) The training programme for technical experts participating in the Article 6 technical expert review referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter V (Review), as contained in annex IV;
(e) The outline of the initial report (hereinafter referred to as initial report) and updated initial report referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter IV.A (Initial report), as contained in annex V;
(f) The outline of annex 4 (Information in relation to the Party’s participation in cooperative approaches, as applicable) to the biennial transparency report referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter IV.C (Regular information), as contained in annex VI;
2. Encourages Parties to test the draft version of the agreed electronic format referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter IV.B (Annual information), as contained in annex VII and to provide feedback via the submission portal3 by 30 April 2023;
3. Requests the secretariat to organize a hybrid workshop on the draft version of the agreed electronic format referred to in paragraph 2 above at least one month prior to the fifty-eighth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (June 2023);
4. Also requests the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice to continue its work on the draft version of the agreed electronic format referred to in paragraph 2 above, taking into consideration the submissions from Parties on this matter also referred to in that paragraph and the workshop referred to in paragraph 3 above, with a view to finalizing a recommendation on the agreed electronic format for consideration and adoption by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement at its fifth session (November–December 2023);
5. Clarifies that the vintage of an internationally transferred mitigation outcome is the calendar year in which the underlying mitigation occurred;
6. Decides that a participating Party that identifies information as confidential, pursuant to decision 2/CMA.3, annex, paragraph 24, should provide the basis for protecting such information;
7. Also decides that Article 6 technical expert review teams will follow the Article 6 technical expert review report outline contained in annex III;
8. Invites Parties and, as appropriate, intergovernmental organizations to nominate technical experts with the relevant qualifications to the UNFCCC roster of experts in accordance with annex II, chapter XI;
9. Requests the secretariat to implement and maintain the training programme for technical experts participating in Article 6 technical expert reviews pursuant to decision 2/CMA.3, annex, paragraph 26, taking into account technical advice from Article 6 lead reviewers on the implementation of the training for technical experts participating in Article 6 technical expert reviews pursuant to annex II, chapter XI.C;
10. Also requests the secretariat to report to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice at its fifty-eighth session on progress in developing the training programme referred to paragraph 1(d) above and at each subsequent session until development of the training programme has been completed;
11. Further requests the secretariat to make available as soon as possible an initial version of the courses comprising the training programme, as outlined in annex IV, and to make available no later than December 2023 the course related to the requirements of initial reports set out in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, paragraph 18;
12. Requests the secretariat to promote geographical and gender balance among the technical experts participating in the training programme referred to in paragraph 1(d) above, to the extent possible, giving special consideration, including in terms of support for participation, to experts from developing countries, particularly the least developed countries and small island developing States;
[...]
XI. Article 6 technical expert review team and institutional arrangements
A. General
35. Technical experts shall be nominated to the UNFCCC roster of experts by Parties to the Paris Agreement and, as appropriate, by intergovernmental organizations.
36. Technical experts shall complete the training programme for the Article 6 technical experts referred to in paragraph 33 above prior to serving on an Article 6 technical expert review team.
37. Each submission that triggers an Article 6 technical expert review will be assigned to a single Article 6 technical expert review team with members selected from the UNFCCC roster of experts.
B. Composition
38. Technical experts shall have recognized competence in the area of Article 6 technical expert reviews.
39. The secretariat shall compose a technical review team in such a way that the collective skills and competencies of the technical expert review teams correspond to the information to be reviewed and that a single Article 6 technical expert team includes at least two experts.
40. At least one team member should be fluent in a language of the participating Party under review, if possible.
41. The secretariat shall select the members of the Article 6 technical expert review team with a view to achieving a balance between experts from developed and developing country Parties. The secretariat shall ensure geographical and gender balance among the technical experts, to the extent possible. When selecting members of the technical expert review team for centralized reviews of submissions from the least developed countries and small island developing States, the secretariat shall strive to include technical experts from the least developed countries and small island developing States, while at the same time ensuring that those experts do not participate in reviews for the Party that nominated them to the UNFCCC roster of experts.
42. The same Article 6 technical expert review team shall not perform two successive reviews of a participating Party’s submission.
43. The Article 6 technical expert review team shall include two co-lead reviewers, one from a developed country Party and the other from a developing country Party, that have not been nominated to the UNFCCC roster of experts by the participating Party under review.
44. The secretariat, in selecting lead reviewers, should consider their relevant experience, noting that experience in conducting Article 6 technical expert reviews will develop as the review process evolves.
45. Experts from developing country Parties participating in the Article 6 technical expert review team shall be funded according to the existing procedures for participation in UNFCCC activities.
Annex V*
Outline of the initial report and updated initial report referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter IV.A (Initial report)
IV. Information on each cooperative approach (para. 18(g–i), para. 19)
Note: For the initial report and the updated initial report, chapters A–H below should be repeated for each cooperative approach. For each further cooperative approach, each participating Party shall submit the information referred to in paragraph 18(g–i) of the annex to decision 2/CMA.3 in an updated initial report (decision 2/CMA.3, annex, para. 19).
A. Copy of the authorization by the participating Party (para. 18(g))
B. Description of the cooperative approach (para. 18(g))
C. Duration of the cooperative approach (para. 18(g))
D. Expected mitigation for each year of the duration of the cooperative approach(para. 18(g))
E. Participating Parties involved in the cooperative approach (para. 18(g))
F. Authorized entities (para. 18(g))
G. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures environmental integrity (para.18(h), to be updated by para. 22(b))
1. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures that there is no net increase in global emissions within and between NDC implementation periods (para. 18(h)(i), to be updated by para. 22(b)(i))
2. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures environmental integrity through robust, transparent governance and the quality of mitigation outcomes, including through conservative reference levels and baselines set in a conservative way and below ‘business as usual’ emission projections (including by taking into account all existing policies and addressing uncertainties in quantification and potential leakage) (para. 18(h)(ii), to be updated by para. 22(b)(ii))
3. Description of how the cooperative approach is minimizing the risk of non- permanence of mitigation across several NDC periods and how, when reversals of emission reductions or removals occur, the cooperative approach will ensure that these are addressed in full (para. 18(h)(iii), to be updated by para. 22(b)(iii))
H. Additional description of the cooperative approach (para. 18(i))
1. Description of how the cooperative approach minimizes and, where possible, avoids negative environmental, economic and social impacts (para. 18(i)(i), to be updated by para. 22(f))
2. Description of how the cooperative approach reflects the eleventh preambular paragraph of the Paris Agreement, according to which acknowledging that climate change is a common concern of humankind, Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity (para. 18(i)(ii), to be updated by para. 22(g))
3. Description of how the cooperative approach is consistent with the sustainable development objectives of the Party, noting national prerogatives (para. 18(i)(iii), to be updated by para. 22(h))
4. Description of how the cooperative approach applies any safeguards and limits set out in further guidance from the CMA pursuant to chapter III.D (para. 18(i)(iv), to be updated by para. 22(i))
5. Description of how the cooperative approach contributes resources for adaptation pursuant to chapter VII (Ambition in mitigation and adaptation actions), if applicable (para. 18(i)(v), to be updated by para. 22(j))
6. Description of how the cooperative approach delivers overall mitigation in global emissions pursuant to chapter VII (Ambition in mitigation and adaptation actions), if applicable (para. 18(i)(vi), to be updated by para. 22(k))
Annex VI
Outline of annex 4 (Information in relation to the Party’s participation in cooperative approaches, as applicable) to the biennial transparency report referred to in decision 2/CMA.3, annex, chapter IV.C (Regular information), paragraphs 21–22
[...]
Information on each cooperative approach (para. 22(a–k))
Note: Chapters A–K below should be repeated for each cooperative approach.
A. Description of how the cooperative approach contributes to the mitigation of GHGs and the implementation of the NDC (para. 22(a))
B. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures environmental integrity (para. 22(b), update to para. 18(h))
1. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures that there is no net increase in global emissions within and between NDC implementation periods (para. 22(b)(i), update to para. 18(h)(i))
2. Description of how the cooperative approach ensures environmental integrity through robust, transparent governance and the quality of mitigation outcomes, including through conservative reference levels and baselines set in a conservative way and below ‘business as usual’ emission projections (including by taking into account all existing policies and addressing uncertainties in quantification and potential leakage) (para. 22(b)(ii), update to para. 18(h)(ii))
3. Description of how the cooperative approach is minimizing the risk of non- permanence of mitigation across several NDC periods and how, when reversals of emission reductions or removals occur, the cooperative approach will ensure that these are addressed in full (para. 22(b)(iii), update to para. 18(h)(iii))
C. Where a mitigation outcome is measured and transferred in t CO2 eq, description of how the cooperative approach provides for the measurement of mitigation outcomes in accordance with the methodologies and metrics assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and adopted by the CMA (para. 22(c))
D. Where a mitigation outcome is measured and first transferred in a non-GHG metric determined by the participating Parties, description of how the cooperative approach ensures that the method for converting the non-GHG metric into t CO2 eq is appropriate for the specific non-GHG metric and the mitigation scenario in which it is applied, including: (para. 22(d))
1. Description of how the conversion method represents the emission reductions or removals that occur within the geographical boundaries and time frame in which the non-GHG mitigation outcome was generated (para. 22(d)(i))
2. Description of how the conversion method is appropriate for the specific non-CO2 eq metric, including a demonstration of how the selection of the conversion method
and conversion factor(s) applied take into consideration the specific scenario in which the mitigation action occurs (para. 22(d)(ii))
3. Description of how the conversion method is transparent, including a description of the method, the source of the underlying data, how the data are used, and how the method is applied in a conservative manner that addresses uncertainty and ensures environmental integrity (para. 22(d)(iii))
E. Description of how the cooperative approach provides for, as applicable, the measurement of mitigation co-benefits resulting from adaptation actions and/or economic diversification plans (para. 22(e))
F. Description of how the cooperative approach minimizes and, where possible, avoids negative environmental, economic and social impacts (para. 22(f), update to para. 18(i)(i))
G. Description of how the cooperative approach reflects the eleventh preambular paragraph of the Paris Agreement, according to which acknowledging that climate change is a common concern of humankind, Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity (para. 22(g), update to para. 18(i)(ii))
H. Description of how the cooperative approach is consistent with sustainable development objectives of the Party, noting national prerogatives (para. 22(h), update to para. 18(i)(iii))
I. Description of how the cooperative approach applies any safeguards and limits set out in further guidance from the CMA pursuant to chapter III.D (para. 22(i), update to para. 18(i)(iv))
J. Description of how the cooperative approach contributes resources for adaptation pursuant to chapter VII (Ambition in mitigation and adaptation actions), if applicable (para. 22(j), update to para. 18(i)(v))
K. Description of how the cooperative approach delivers overall mitigation in global emissions pursuant to chapter VII (Ambition in mitigation and adaptation actions), if applicable (para. 22(k), update to para. 18(i)(vi))
