India and Japan Adopt Rules for Joint Crediting Mechanism Under Paris Agreement

India and Japan have strengthened the bilateral climate cooperation by adopting the Rules of Implementation for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under the Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. The adoption of these rules provide the structured framework for implementing climate mitigation projects along with  supporting the climate goals of the both countries.

What is the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)?

The Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) is the bilateral carbon market cooperation framework that facilitates the implementation of those projects which are aimed at reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions.

Under this mechanism, one country supports the low-carbon projects in another country in the form of investment, technology transfer and capacity building.

The resulting emission reductions are quantified and it shared between the participating countries as the carbon credits.

India and Japan signed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the JCM in the year 2025 and laying the foundation for the climate collaboration under the framework of the Paris Agreement.

Adoption of Rules of Implementation

On 8th June 2026, the Governments of India and Japan formally adopted the Rules of the Implementation for the Joint Crediting Mechanism.

The new rules establish the comprehensive governance structure for the operation of JCM projects.

They define procedures for the project approval, monitoring, validation, verification and the credit issuance while ensuring transparency and environmental integrity.

This framework aligns with Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement which allows the countries to cooperate voluntarily in to achieving their climate targets via internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs).

Key Features of the Implementation Rules

The adopted rules provides the robust institutional framework to ensure the credibility and accountability.

Key provisions includes the,

• Establishment of the Joint Committee with representatives from both governments.
• Transparent project approval and registration procedures.
• Independent third-party validation and verification mechanisms.
• Sustainable development safeguards.
• National registries for the tracking carbon credits.
• Monitoring of emission reductions and removals.

These measures ensure that the climate projects generate measurable and verifiable environmental benefits.

Understanding Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement provides countries with flexibility to cooperate in to achieving their climate goals.

Article 6.2 specifically allows the countries to engage in bilateral or multilateral cooperation via the transfer of emission reduction outcomes.

These outcomes can be counted towards the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while avoiding the double counting through transparent accounting mechanisms.

The provision encourages the cost-effective climate action and it also promotes the international collaboration in reducing global emissions.