Sweden and Ivory Coast concluded a bilateral pact pursuant to Article 6.2 of the Paris climate accord on Friday at the UN Cop 31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, permitting Sweden to fund greenhouse gas cuts in Ivory Coast and apply them toward its own goals.
Because it belongs to the EU, Sweden will apply the cuts not toward its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement—which falls under the EU’s NDC—but rather to exceed its required reductions. Argus Media reported that this is the first Article 6.2 agreement for Ivory Coast.
Article 6.2 provides a framework under which countries sign bilateral agreements. A host country receives finance from a developed country to carry out activities reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in exchange for which the developed country may use the achieved emissions cuts—known as internationally transferred mitigation outcomes, or Itmos—against its NDC.
Swedish Article 6 activities in Ivory Coast focus on sustainable transportation, renewable energy, and green transition. The Swedish Energy Agency said these activities are carried out by the Global Green Growth Institute with the support of the Sweden-financed Article 6 Climate Cooperation Facility. The institute also supports Article 6 readiness in Ivory Coast.
To date, Sweden has concluded Article 6.2 accords with Ghana, Zambia, Nepal, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Zambia, alongside a memorandum of understanding with Rwanda. Furthermore, Sweden has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Switzerland that provides for the exchange of a symbolic quantity of Itmos derived from captured industrial emissions between the two nations.
The transfer from Sweden to Switzerland will function as a trial Itmo operation, while the transfer from Switzerland to Sweden will involve a 2t movement that the agency anticipates will occur in early 2027.
| Partner Country / Entity | Agreement Type | Focus / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Sustainable transport, renewable energy, green transition |
| Dominican Republic | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Emissions reductions and mitigation outcomes |
| Ghana | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Emissions reductions and mitigation outcomes |
| Kenya | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Emissions reductions and mitigation outcomes |
| Nepal | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Emissions reductions and mitigation outcomes |
| Zambia | Article 6.2 Bilateral Agreement | Emissions reductions and mitigation outcomes |
| Rwanda | Memorandum of Understanding | Bilateral climate cooperation framework |
| Switzerland | Memorandum of Understanding | Simulated transaction and 2t transfer expected in early 2027 |
Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said on November 12 that the expansion of electrification does not necessarily mean cutting emissions depending on the production sources. “The ultimate end is to cut emissions regardless of their sources. The kingdom reiterates that what unites us is the objective and not necessarily the track to achieving it,” he said.
