COP30 Day 4: Setting the Tone, Article 6.2, and U.S. Absence

Thacher Carter

Hello from Belém, Brazil! My name is Thacher Carter, and I am a J.D. Candidate at UMaine School of Law where I am focusing on land use, conservation, and environmental law. Over the last few days at COP30, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to attend a variety of conference sessions and negotiations related to international climate change law and policy. I’m excited to share a few accounts of and reflections on that experience here, and highlight several major themes and events from these first days, such as the opening ceremony, ongoing negotiations and workshops related to the Paris Agreement, and the absence of federal U.S. representation.

“COP30 will be the COP of Truth.”

On the first day of COP30, I was lucky enough to gain a ticket to the opening ceremony. The proceedings began with a formal transfer of leadership from the COP29 president to the COP30 president, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago. Parties that took part in this ceremony highlighted the importance of “multilateralism”—a word used to describe a partnership of multiple parties working to achieve a shared goal. While intergovernmental collaboration is common at any COP, the theme seems to be given particular emphasis this year at COP30 in light of the ten year anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, then highlighted the symbolic nature of hosting COP in the “heart of the Amazon,” and laid out his vision for what the conference represents both for the people of Brazil and for the world. “We resolved to accept the challenge of holding the COP in an Amazonian state to prove that, when there is political will, when there is a desire, and when there is a commitment to the truth, we prove that nothing is impossible for humankind,” Lula said, going on to declare: “COP30 will be the COP of truth.”

The opening ceremony concluded with several performances and additional speeches before the COP30 agenda was officially adopted, paving the way for the commencement of formal negotiations and additional programming.

Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement

One of many provisions of the Paris Agreement that was up for discussion at COP30, and which I chose to follow over the course of the conference, was Article 6.2. Article 6.2 allows for party-countries to engage “in cooperative approaches that involve the use of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes” (ITMOs) to achieve their “nationally determined contributions,” also known as NDCs—an action plan submitted by a country outlining individualized objectives and strategies to address climate change.

Article 6.2 ITMOs enable countries that are exceeding emissions reduction targets to sell credits to countries looking to reach their climate goals, creating a carbon credit market for those that decide to participate. This practice can be controversial, and Article 6.2 specifically states that, when engaging in ITMOs, parties shall “ensure environmental integrity and transparency” as well as “apply robust accounting to ensure, inter alia, the avoidance of double counting.” To date, there have been 39 cooperative approaches that include 35 transferring parties.

In light of this provision, the first week of COP30 included two Article 6.2 ambition dialogues, encouraging countries to exchange ideas about successes, aspirations, and reflections on ITMOs. On Monday, the dialogue in part centered on considerations for participating in Article 6.2, with a specific emphasis on domestic considerations, strategic assessments for alignment with NDCs, and general opportunities and challenges. The Republic of Korea presented first, describing its choice to participate in Article 6.2 to reach its NDC, and Australia followed, explaining, in contrast, its reasons for not participating in any international carbon credit market at this time.

Wednesday’s session shifted focus to accelerating implementation of 6.2, and featured presentations from several countries and NGOs. Japan, for example, offered an overview of its “Joint Crediting Mechanism” program and associated implementation agency. Overall, observing the Article 6.2 discussions was a great opportunity to gain a deeper insight about a specific provision of the Paris Agreement that is continually developing on the global stage.

United States Absence

Another topic of discussion at COP30, as well as in the news, was the absence of federal representation by the United States government for the first time in the conference’s 30-year history. Negotiations and sessions nonetheless moved forward, as one representative from Greenpeace International remarked: “We cannot wait for the U.S.”

Despite the absence of federal representation, over the course of the week, several state-level lawmakers and politicians as well as city and town officials attended the conference and spoke about the importance of progressing climate policy at the local level in the United States. The country was also represented through various NGOs and nonprofit organizations.

–In conclusion, listening in on lively discussions about the international response to climate change, having conversations with people from around the world who are contributing to this important work, and exploring the City of Belém has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’m truly grateful for. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed following along!

This is the part of a series of daily blog posts from the University of Maine delegation to COP30.