New handbook released ahead of COP31 to help climate-vulnerable countries raise carbon financing

BANGKOK, THAILAND, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A new decision-making policy tool, Article 6 Senior Officials’ Handbook, backed by 77 climate-vulnerable countries, will support policymakers accessing international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The handbook was jointly released by the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) and the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity initiative (VCMI), as part of its Carbon Finance Program, designed to help climate-vulnerable countries unlock new forms of capital through carbon market access.

Countries represented by the CVF-V20 are the most exposed to the impact of climate change and face an estimated US$490 billion a year finance gap in their development needs. Carbon markets, including those implemented under Article 6, present an opportunity to unlock an estimated additional US$20 billion a year for CVF-V20 countries by 2030.

However, climate-vulnerable countries have so far remained underrepresented in global carbon markets, with 45 least developed countries accounting for only 1.5 percent of projects registered under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism. Small Island Developing States hosted fewer still, as participation was concentrated in a handful of larger economies, while most V20 members saw little activity. Initial engagements with CVF-V20 member states emphasized the need for specialized knowledge and institutional materials on leveraging high-integrity carbon markets.

“Article 6 presents a genuine opportunity to course-correct that trajectory. The decisions reached at COP29 place governments at the centre of the international carbon market ecosystem. Governments now have a central role in authorising mitigation outcome transfers, determining which activities proceed and ensuring that climate finance reaches national priorities,” said H.E. Elizabeth Thompson Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Climate Change, Small Island States and Law of the Sea, Barbados; Sherpa to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, S.C. M.P., Chair of the CVF-V20.

The Handbook is structured around eight modules, addressing decision-making challenges on authorization, revenue optimization, benefit-sharing, environment and social integrity, private sector engagement, and legislative oversight. Content modules were unveiled during the high-level segment of the event “Unlocking Carbon Finance: From Country Action to Global Markets,” on the margins of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Bangkok, Thailand.

“This new handbook specifically responds to the needs of climate-vulnerable countries for specialised and tailored support and guidance on participating in carbon markets,” said Sara Jane Ahmed, Managing Director and Finance Advisor of CVF-V20 Secretariat.

“By empowering climate-vulnerable member countries with informed leadership and institutional decision-making, this handbook can help build the policy environment needed to attract much-needed investments through Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.”

The handbook supports senior government officials across sectoral ministries involved in domestic carbon market implementation. Its foundation derives directly from the core inquiries of countries on market-based mechanisms of Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 under Paris Agreement.

Host countries can use carbon finance to accelerate the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and have more impact for their climate priorities. Carbon markets yield additional revenue streams that could finance Climate Prosperity Plans, multi-phase national strategies for investment and technology access designed to transform climate risks into bankable opportunities.

“The Article 6 Senior Officials’ Handbook will support our country in strengthening its understanding of carbon market mechanisms, advancing existing market engagement, and developing a strategy grounded in environmental integrity, transparency, and national priorities,” said Karla Nicholls, Auditor II at the Global Relations Unit of the Tax Audit and Compliance Division of the Barbados Revenue Authority.

Senior government officials could use the policy tool as a readiness checklist and a framework for international best practices on carbon market participation, alongside resource materials relating to Article 6 Paris Agreement. Benchmark approaches and strategies of host and buyer countries are integrated in each module, including their common bottlenecks in implementation.

“The long-awaited implementation of Article 6 under the Paris Agreement opens up new opportunities for climate-vulnerable countries to tap into urgently needed carbon finance to support their climate strategies,” said Usha Rao-Monari, Chair of VCMI.

“But this potential can only truly be fulfilled if host countries can take informed decisions about if, when and how to engage in carbon markets. This new handbook offers a valuable resource to ensure climate-vulnerable countries get the maximum benefit from hosting carbon projects.”

The handbook presents case studies showcasing country progress in the Article 6 arena. Ghana’s multi-project bilateral cooperation with Switzerland has been projected to generate eight million tons of carbon credits, US$300 million carbon revenue, and US$1.1 billion total investments. Likewise, the Philippines has entered into bilateral agreements with Japan and Singapore, reflecting its efforts to strengthen international cooperation and establish the foundations for participation in international carbon markets. A notable development in Bhutan’s Article 6 journey is the establishment of the Bhutan Climate Fund and Carbon Market Information Platform, both intended for resource mobilization and information sharing on carbon market opportunities and investments.

“The country experiences and practical insights presented in the Handbook provide a useful runway for countries such as Bhutan to learn from peer experiences, strengthen existing market engagement, and inform the further development and implementation of our national carbon market strategy,” said Mr. Sonam Tashi, Director at the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

The CVF-V20 and VCMI anticipates the Article 6 Senior Officials’ Handbook will accelerate tangible, credible, and forward-looking carbon market policies that can support climate prosperity priorities and accelerate NDC implementation.

Harvey Presence
Marchmont Communications
+44 7582 195497

Media gallery