Project developers set out six Article 6 priorities for COP31
By Article 6 Network
Project developers have urged governments and international climate institutions at COP31 to turn Article 6 into a working channel for climate investment, setting out a six-point wish list. The call shows the private sector’s frustration that Article 6 rules have moved faster than the systems needed to bring projects to market.
Ahead of COP31, which takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, project developers have published six priorities they want governments and institutions to act on so that Article 6 can deliver investment at scale.
The call follows a similar push before COP30. The Project Developer Forum, a coalition of more than 60 carbon project developers, released a seven-point COP30 wish list. Its demands included predictable and transparent fee structures for Article 6 activities, retention of experienced staff in host-country ministries to maintain institutional knowledge, and faster development of the UNFCCC Article 6.4 registry. It also asked the PACM to involve developers in methodology design from the outset rather than only through public consultations. The Forum’s chair, Nick Marshall, said at the time that frameworks should enable private finance to flow, not create bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Developers had also raised concerns about the CDM-to-PACM transition, saying they were being asked to make decisions under a semi-operational PACM standard without finalised methodologies or full registry functionality.
Signals to watch
- Private-sector frustration with pace: Developers bear the upfront risk of Article 6 projects. Repeated wish lists from COP30 to COP31 suggest many earlier asks remain unmet, especially on registries, fees and authorisation timelines. Watch which priorities negotiators and host governments address in Antalya.
- Cost predictability is a recurring demand: Corresponding adjustment fees, share of proceeds, retention rules and national levies vary widely between host countries. Developers want stable, transparent cost frameworks. Hosts that provide them will attract more investment.
- Infrastructure delays bite: With the UNFCCC warning of funding shortfalls for Article 6.2 and PACM infrastructure, and registry launches slipping, developers’ calls align with institutional concerns. Expect pressure on Parties to agree stable funding at COP31.
- PACM methodology process under scrutiny: Developers have pushed for earlier involvement in methodology design. Recent controversy over cookstove rules potentially pushing developers towards other standards suggests this tension will continue.
- Signals for investors: The wish list shows where developers see bottlenecks. Investors can use it as a checklist when assessing host-country and mechanism risk: authorisation speed, fee clarity, registry readiness and institutional continuity.
Sources:
- Green Building Africa – Project Developer Forum unveils COP30 wishlist
- EnviroNews Nigeria – COP30 wishlist: developers call for practical action
- Fastmarkets – Article 6.4 deadline extension keeps PACM open to CDM credits
- Clifford Chance – COP31 overview
