UN reviews first carbon methodology under Article 6.4

a small step for the UN, but a huge step for global voluntary carbon markets

Climate change has sent Earth over its first tipping points, with tropical forests turning from carbon sinks into carbon sources. The need for rapid and large-scale emission reductions is bigger than ever. Hence, the perfect timing for the UN to review the first carbon methodology under Article 6.4. This will bring the global voluntary carbon credit market closer to rocket launch.

Why now?

Credit: UN Climate change

Earlier this month, the UN reviewed the first carbon methodology under Article 6.4. The Methodological Expert Panel to the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body convened to review the carbon methods to be used under the Article 6.4 Global Voluntary Market.

As part of the Paris Agreement, the global treaty to address climate change, a promise was made to create a global carbon market. The famous ‘Article 6.4’, or Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, drafts a market mechanism enabling finance to flow from high-emitting countries to low-emitting countries in the form of carbon credits. This system isn’t new. Similar mechanisms have been operational in the past, including the Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism.

Why it matters

The review of the first carbon methodology under Article 6.4, may seem small. But it is a huge step for the global voluntary markets. Ensuring the integrity of the global carbon market is critical to:

1. Genuinely reduce emissions, measurable and verifiable.
2. Enable financial flows from high-emitters to low-emitters
3. Avoid double-counting
4. Ensure only real projects enter the market, and real emission reductions, based on measurable claims and transparent monitoring.
5. Create “co-benefits”, impacts beyond carbon, by enabling the high-emitters to invest – through carbon credits – in projects that not only reduce or remove emissions, but also generate additional social, environmental or economic benefits for the receiving parties.

Carbon Farming as a methodology?

The first carbon methodology under Article 6.4 reviewed by the UN is related to renewable energy. However there are many methods in the voluntary market that could be reviewed by the UN committee in the future. Carbon farming could be one of the methodologies. Carbon farming enables carbon sequestration – emission removals – through regenerative practices. Moreover, carbon farming is one of those methods that creates several co-benefits beyond carbon. This includes improved productivity, water holding capacity, and resilience against extreme weather events.

Checklist for high-integrity carbon farming

With the first carbon methodology reviewed under Article 6.4, it is even more important to ensure carbon projects and carbon farming lead to high-integrity carbon credits and contributes to the aims of a high-integrity carbon market. Therefore, these projects must be:

(1) Based on substantiated evidence

The projects must use recognised methodologies of carbon reduction or removal – such as this one by the UN Article 6.4, or the ones recognised by ISO 16064, such as the CAS soil carbon methodology, or other carbon method standards. And they must use measurable, verifiable emission reduction data, such as the CAS soil intelligence which is measured with 80% increased accuracy compared to traditional soil sampling, across the entire field, and directly uploaded in secured ledgers so the data cannot be tampered with.

(2) Verified by an independent body.

Carbon projects require that a third-party verifies and validates the data. At CAS we ensure that both the project manager and independent auditor use the same data portal to upload, verify and communicate their findings to ensure convenience and integrity. The project and auditing data is blockchained to ensure it is not tampered with and reduce space for human error.

(3) Communicated in a clear, and accessible fashion.

Information that is hard to access, digest or comprehend is harder to fact-check and could disguise disinformation. Therefore, ideally the project data is easily accessible and understandable, and includes the methodology used and the evidence of carbon reductions or removals. At CAS the soil data is geolocated and uploaded directly from the field into a secured cloud to ensure transparency and integrity. Together with the other project data and validation report, this information is visible in the CAS registry, where it is up for sale. Hence, from soil to sale the data is traceable, accessible and communicated in one central location, ensuring access and integrity.

Let’s talk

The fact that the UN reviewed the first carbon methodology under Article 6.4 is just the beginning, yet a huge milestone in the history of global voluntary carbon markets. Let’s talk more about carbon credits, co-benefits and the importance of soil carbon at the https://nationalcarbonfarmingconference.com on 3-6 November 2025 in Albury, NSW, Australia. Meet us at the booth or attend our panel conversation on data-driven soil measurement technology to ensure integrity and scalability of carbon farming