What Role Will Carbon Removal Play Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement?

Although the Paris Agreement committed its signatories to limit global temperature increases and many countries have put forward net-zero climate targets, the carbon crediting rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement are still in their early stages of development for both emission reduction and carbon removal activities. But what will the balance of priorities be? The United Nations' primary experience with carbon crediting programs is its Clean Development Mechanism, an international offsetting program developed under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Not only has the Clean Development Mechanism been criticized in the academic literature for its low-quality outcomes, but its focus is almost entirely distinct from the sectors of most interest for carbon removal: it predates the contemporary interet in long-duration carbon removal pathways and only a handful of its projects involve the land sector. Meanwhile, a large number of legacy Clean Development Mechanism projects are slated for transition into the Article 6.4 mechanism, along with the potential approval of its revised carbon crediting methodologies for global use. These political priorities, along with long-standing tensions over the appropriate role of temporary carbon storage in carbon markets, help illuminate issues that eluded consensus last year at COP28 in Dubai and are likely to be part of upcoming COP29 negotiations in Baku.
Guest:
Danny Cullenward is a climate economist and lawyer focused on the design and implementation of scientifically grounded climate policy. He is a Senior Fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University, and a member of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement Article 6.4 mechanism's Methodological Expert Panel. He holds a JD and PhD from Stanford University.
Moderator:
Wil Burns, Co-Director, Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal, American University