Germany to help strengthen Pakistan’s carbon market

LAHORE:The goals for strengthening Pakistan’s carbon market rules and regulations, policies, integrity and infrastructure were discussed at length at a bilateral meeting between government leaders from Pakistan and Germany on Tuesday.

The meeting was organised at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) under the patronage of Secretary (In charge) MoCC&EC, Ms Aisha Humaera. German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas was also present on this occasion. BMWK was represented by SPAR6C programme focal points Ms Malin Ahlberg and Thomas Forth. SPAR6C was represented by GGGI Global Programme Manager, Marshall Brown and consortium partner leading in Pakistan UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, Ms Xianli Zhu.

Ms Aisha Humaera stated that the technical expertise and capacity building support provided by the German government will help create a robust carbon project with high environmental integrity that will support NDC implementation and benefit communities.

She added that Pakistan’s first carbon market transaction and signing bilateral agreements for Article 6 cooperation this year is eagerly awaited as it is a priority for the Ministry of Climate Change to leverage climate financing. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), as a leading global advocate for the scaling up of carbon markets, has supported the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in Pakistan through the Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) programme.

SPAR6C has assisted the Pakistan govt in the development of carbon market guidelines by providing expertise, capacity building and technical reviews. The programme is led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), with implementation in Pakistan led by UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and supported by GFA Consulting Group. After the bilateral meeting, there will be several meetings in which federal and provincial govts participate to deliberate on interprovincial coordination and strategic priorities for Article 6 implementation under SPAR6C programme.

German Ambassador Alfred Grannas said Germany is supporting Pakistan in building a high-integrity carbon market under Article 6, ensuring a strong foundation for market-based climate action. “Through the SPAR6C programme, we are strengthening institutional capacity, refining regulatory frameworks, and advancing technical expertise to enhance Pakistan’s preparedness for international carbon transactions,” he said. He said experts from BMWK and the SPAR6C programme are visiting Pakistan to undertake a series of strategic and technical discussions increasing the visibility and awareness of opportunities through Article 6 carbon markets and the SPAR6C programme in Pakistan.

Thomas Forth, Senior Expert, BMWK said that this collaboration through the SPAR6C programme established a strong foundation for attracting investments, scaling-up carbon finance and thus positioning Pakistan to effectively leverage market-based solutions for long-term emissions reductions and sustainable growth.

SPAR6C is helping develop a pipeline of viable carbon market projects, such as the Lakhodair Landfill Project in Punjab, as well as support for establishing bilateral agreements for transactions with purchasing countries were also discussed, followed by a discussion on policy integration and implementation strategies for carbon markets.

GGGI Programme Manager Marshall Brown said that GGGI is pleased to be able to support across the full spectrum of carbon market implementation, from readiness under SPAR6C to facilitating bilateral cooperation through the Carbon Transaction Facility.

UNEP-CCC Senior Expert Xianli Zhu commented that in order to foster a conducive environment for carbon market knowledge and expertise, the SPAR6C programme has worked on various toolboxes, guides, sectoral reports and mentorship programmes in Pakistan.