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IGES and UNIDO Sign Joint Declaration to Strengthen Cooperation on Article 6 Carbon Markets

IGES
Marking a milestone: IGES President Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi (left) and Kazuhisa Koakutsu, Director of the A6IP Center, present the newly concluded Joint Declaration between IGES and UNIDO.
UNIDO photo
A moment to commemorate: Gunther Berger (centre), UNIDO Managing Director of the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), presents the completed Joint Declaration, joined by Petra Schwager (left), Chief of the Climate and Technology Partnership (CTP) Division, and Naoki Torii (right), CTP Industrial Officer.

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed a Joint Declaration to enhance collaboration in advancing high-integrity carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and supporting sustainable industrial development.

The Joint Declaration reflects a shared commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by enhancing and expanding the implementation of international carbon markets.

Since April 2023, IGES has served as the secretariat of the Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership (A6IP). Through A6IP, IGES will work closely with UNIDO in the following key areas:

  • Joint development of technical assistance projects to enhance readiness and implementation of carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
  • Development of joint knowledge products and publications
  • Sharing of information, experience and best practices through joint events
  • Promotion of multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships, including with governments, private sector entities, and civil society organizations

“Operationalizing Article 6 requires more than rules – it requires countries to have the institutional systems, data architecture and policy confidence to participate with integrity,” said Kazuhisa Koakutsu, Director of the A6IP Center. “Through this Joint Declaration, A6IP and UNIDO bring together complementary strengths to support governments in building those foundations, so that carbon markets can credibly mobilize finance for industrial decarbonization and long-term sustainable development.”

Earlier, the Joint Declaration was formally announced at a ‘Deep Dive’ event “From Integrity to Investment: Creating Trusted Carbon Markets that Mobilize Private Climate Finance”, held at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) on 10 April 2026.

The Joint Declaration provides a foundational framework for future cooperation, with specific activities to be mutually developed. Ultimately, this partnership aims to translate the promise of Article 6 into practical support for countries, enabling carbon markets to serve as credible instruments for climate action, industrial transformation and sustainable development.

About the Article 6 Implementation Partnership (A6IP) Center

At COP27 in 2022, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) launched the Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership (A6IP) to support capacity building related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Building on this initiative, the A6IP Center was established following the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo in April 2023. The Center aims to promote institutional development and capacity building for government officials and relevant stakeholders to facilitate the early and steady development of high-quality carbon markets under Article 6. IGES serves as the Secretariat of the Center. As of April 2026, 94 countries and over 200 institutions have joined the partnership. Moving forward, the A6IP Center will strengthen its capacity-building support in collaboration with international organizations such as the UNFCCC Secretariat, the World Bank, and UNIDO to enhance its efforts to meet the needs of participating countries.

Related Link
A6IP and UNIDO Announced… | Article 6 Implementation Partnership