Mandatory Environmental and Human Rights Safeguards Agreed for UN Carbon Market

Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement established an international carbon crediting mechanism, known as the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, which allows countries to raise climate ambition and implement national actions plans more affordably. It has a Supervisory Body tasked with developing and supervising the requirements and processes needed to operationalise the mechanism. Yesterday (7th October) it agreed mandatory environmental and human rights safeguards at their 14th meeting, which commenced in Baku on 5th October.  

These protections will require those participating in the UN’s Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism to identify, evaluate, avoid, minimise and mitigate potential risks associated with projects. 

The new rules mean environmental and social rights will be protected through a mandatory tool - known as the Sustainable Development Tool - that assesses and monitors project impacts throughout their lifespan. 

This move by the Supervisory Body completes work on a historic set of safeguards and procedures, while earlier this year, they agreed on a procedure that further safeguards human rights by allowing people affected by UN carbon market projects to appeal decisions or file complaints. 

The Supervisory Body has concluded discussions on the Sustainable Development Tool and aims to formally adopt it at the end of their meeting in Baku on Wednesday 9 October 2024. 

The Body will review and update the tool every 18 months, continuously improving it based on feedback from stakeholders and building on safeguards over time. 
 
“These new mandatory safeguards are a significant step towards ensuring that the UN carbon market we are building contributes to sustainable development without harming people or the environment,” said Maria Al Jishi, Chair of the Supervisory Body responsible for implementing the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism. “These safeguards will not remain static – we aim to continue to iterate and strengthen them over time." 
 
“This work underlines our commitment to environmental and human rights protections in the mechanism, and it's doubly significant because it's the first compulsory standard for a UN carbon market, agreed at the UN level,” said Martin Hession, Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Body. 

Find out more here.