Over the last few weeks, we’ve been explaining ITMOs, Article 6 and how the market works.But we haven’t really explained what we’re doing ourselves. Global ITMO was created to develop projects in Ghana that combine agricultural development, environmental technology transfer and emissions reduction. We’re working with partners on the ground in Ghana, with circa 90,000 hectares of agricultural land contracted. We have five environmental technologies we’re looking at, with the biggest opportunities currently around solar irrigation and fertiliser production. Ghana’s farming is largely based around the wet season, which means much of the land is only producing for around three months of the [...]

We’ve explained why a country might want an ITMO. But there’s still a fairly obvious question: where does the money actually come from? The short answer is: an international buyer pays for the authorised mitigation outcome created by the project. But how does that actually work?It starts with a real project.The project creates a measurable emissions reduction. That reduction is measured and accounted for, and if it meets the relevant requirements, the host country can authorise it for international transfer under Article 6.At that point, an international buyer can acquire the authorised mitigation outcome. The important thing to understand is that the government [...]

Two projects can both reduce emissions, but that doesn’t mean the ITMOs associated with them will have the same value. The project may be different. The country may be different. The cost of achieving the emissions reduction may be different. And buyers may be looking for different things. There isn’t a single formula that sets the value of an ITMO. Several factors can influence what a buyer is prepared to pay. • The projectWhat is actually creating the emissions reduction? Renewable energy, agriculture, forestry and other activities have different costs, technologies and ways of reducing emissions.• The mitigation outcomeWhat emissions are being reduced, [...]

An emissions reduction has value. But value and price are not the same thing.It starts with a project (perhaps a renewable energy project, improved agricultural practices or reforestation) that is designed to reduce or remove emissions.But simply reducing emissions doesn’t make something an ITMO. The emissions reduction needs to go through the relevant processes under Article 6, including authorisation for international transfer.Once authorised and transferred, the resulting ITMO can be acquired by a country and, subject to the Article 6 rules, used towards its NDC.So why would a country pay for one?Because it has a use for it.The project has [...]

An ITMO isn’t a project. Every ITMO starts with a project that reduces or removes emissions. That could be a renewable energy project, improved agricultural practices, reforestation, or another activity that creates a real, measurable reduction in emissions. Once those emissions reductions have been measured, verified and authorised under the rules of the Paris Agreement, they may be transferred from one country to another. Once authorised for transfer, those emissions reductions become ITMOs (Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes). That’s the simple explanation.The interesting questions come next. Why would one country want another country’s emissions reductions?Where does the value come from?And why does understanding this emerging [...]

There is no shortage of information about ITMOs and Article 6.The challenge is that much of it is written for people who already work in climate policy and carbon markets. This page isn't here to impress you with technical language.It's here to explain what it actually means. On this page, we'll be sharing clear explanations of ITMOs, Article 6 and the ideas shaping this emerging market. We'll leave the technical papers to the technical experts. We'll focus on making them easier to understand. Next: What exactly is an ITMO?