Projections of global temperature rise raise alarms regarding the urgency of addressing the world’s escalating climate change threats. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and various UN bodies warn of the dire consequences of exceeding climate thresholds, emphasizing the need for global concerted efforts to mitigate emissions.

As the world grapples with these existential climate change threats, initiatives like Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement offer hope by paving the way for collective action towards a greener future.

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, stands as a pivotal global framework aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It requires the increasingly progressive submission of National Determined Contributions which commit each country to specific mitigation targets.

While the bulk of these climate pledges are implemented within national boundaries, Article 6 offers countries three alternative modalities of increasing the ambition of NDCs through overseas emissions reductions. Among them, the one with the most progress is Article 6.2, which allows countries to buy and sell Internationally Transmitted Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). This instrument operates based on the two core principles of ‘environmental integrity’ and ‘sustainable development’ to ensure that mitigation outcomes genuinely contribute to ‘real’ emission reductions such as enhancing agricultural productivity, creating jobs, improving health, providing clean water while promoting developmental co-benefits.

To date, the effectiveness of the ITMO instrument has mainly been proven by theoretically evaluating the cost-effectiveness of emissions reductions. However, our study on the Article 6.2 ecosystem in Ghana offers supplementary evidence that Article 6.2 does indeed uphold the core principles of environmental integrity and sustainable development. This means that the emission reductions are genuine, verifiable, and contribute to long-term climate goals while simultaneously bringing social and economic benefits to local communities, such as improved agricultural practices, better health outcomes, and enhanced livelihoods.

Ghana is an early mover in Article 6.2 implementation, having committed to reducing up to 64 MtCO2e by 2030. This effort involves three main components. First, Ghana has developed the necessary institutional infrastructure, including the Carbon Strategy and the various entities responsible for its implementation. Second, Ghana has enacted bilateral climate change agreements with various countries, with Switzerland being its closest partner in this endeavor. Finally, Ghana has designed and implemented various ITMO projects, with the promotion of climate-smart rice cultivation having achieved the most progress to-date.

Climate-smart rice cultivation is a key initiative under Ghana's ITMO projects, aimed at reducing methane emissions from rice paddies through Alternative Wetting and Drying (AWD) practices. By periodically draining fields instead of continuous flooding, AWD significantly lowers methane emissions and improves water management. This project has boosted local communities by increasing rice yields, enhancing farmer livelihoods, and providing better health outcomes and economic benefits. Training and support for farmers ensure the effective implementation of these sustainable practices, making communities more resilient to climate change. This example highlights the environmental and socio-economic benefits of targeted climate actions under Article 6.2.

Ghana's approach to Article 6.2 implementation provides valuable lessons to policymakers, international development organizations, and donor countries on promoting both environmental integrity and sustainable development. Although Article 6.2 is not a comprehensive solution due to the mechanism's early stage of development, the experiences of countries like Ghana underscore the importance of proactive engagement and the role that collaborative partnerships play in their success. Drawing on these examples of success, donor countries should heighten their support to partner countries through financial aid, technical expertise, and policy guidance to enable more comprehensive and effective engagement in Article 6.2 initiatives. By investing in these collaborative efforts, donor countries can help scale up successful projects like climate-smart rice cultivation, driving global progress towards emission reduction goals and sustainable development.