Sustainable Development Goals Policy Brief Series No. 13

The Paris Agreement promotes a bottom-up approach to global emissions reductions by requiring the submission of increasingly progressive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While these climate goals can be enhanced through utilizing the three instruments found in Article 6, Article 6.2 is the only one operational hitherto. However, although the purpose of this modality of cooperation is to promote emissions abatement in a manner that is aligned with environmental integrity and sustainable development, the limited literature on the topic only addresses issues regarding cost-effectiveness.

Against this backdrop, this paper assesses whether Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement promotes environmental integrity and sustainable development. To this end, it conducts a brief case study on Ghana, specifically analyzing the role of national carbon frameworks, bilateral agreements, and project pipelines. By doing so, it offers exploratory evidence that Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement is conducive to the two principles of environmental integrity and sustainable development. Finally, the study concludes by summarizing and providing recommendations for purchasing countries interested in engaging in this topic.