{"id":18898,"date":"2018-09-04T23:07:01","date_gmt":"2018-09-05T04:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=18898"},"modified":"2018-09-20T12:50:07","modified_gmt":"2018-09-20T17:50:07","slug":"once-is-enough-how-climate-negotiators-meeting-in-bangkok-can-protect-the-environmental-integrity-of-the-paris-agreement-by-avoiding-double-counting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2018\/09\/04\/once-is-enough-how-climate-negotiators-meeting-in-bangkok-can-protect-the-environmental-integrity-of-the-paris-agreement-by-avoiding-double-counting\/","title":{"rendered":"Once is enough: how climate negotiators can protect the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement by avoiding double counting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Climate ambition is often thought of in terms of the stringency of emission reduction commitments, expressed by countries under the landmark Paris Agreement as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While the NDCs that have been pledged by countries are important, they are only the first step.<\/p>\n

To truly assess progress in reducing global climate pollution, it is necessary to look behind country pledges to understand exactly how their emissions are counted and reported. We need consistent accounting rules and transparent reporting to ensure the world is on track.<\/p>\n

The details of accounting and transparency may sometimes sound boring and technical. But the content of these rules is as important as countries\u2019 headline climate targets, since the headline numbers are only as good as our ability to ensure countries are clearly reducing emissions and counting those reductions accurately.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, these same accounting and transparency rules \u2013 if done right – can also help unlock the potential of carbon markets to drive investment and innovation up, and pollution down.<\/p>\n

The importance of avoiding double counting<\/strong>
\nIf countries are to meet their climate goals, the risk of \u201cdouble counting\u201d emissions reductions must be avoided by finalizing clear and unambiguous international guidance during negotiations to be concluded this year under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Article 6 establishes a framework for international carbon market cooperation under the Paris Agreement, but its success depends on cooperating countries only counting their emissions reductions once. The principle is simple.<\/p>\n