Contributing to UNFCCC Processes through our Science

The submission led to an invitation from the UNFCCC to speak and present the example we noted in the submission less than three months later, at the in-session workshop on non-market approaches at the 2024 June UN Climate Meetings, otherwise known as SB 60, in Bonn, Germany.

Non-market approaches (NMAs for short), are among the mechanisms referred to in the Paris Agreement that encourage voluntary cooperation among parties and different sectors.

As defined in Article 6.8, NMAs are “integrated, holistic and balanced” voluntary cooperation mechanisms that assist parties in implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the agreement while delivering sustainable development outcomes and reducing poverty. Apart from promoting climate action and public-private collaboration, NMAs allow opportunities for coordination across instruments and relevant institutional arrangements.

Contributing to UNFCCC processes through our science and engagement - Image 1

The example we presented in Bonn is a project that the 'Low-Emission Food Systems Development' team within the Alliance's 'Multifunctional Landscapes' research area was instrumental in registering in the project bank for obras por impuestos, a Colombian mechanism that allows companies paying taxes in Colombia with annual gross incomes of or more than 33,610 unidad valor de tributario (roughly US$412,000 in 2024), to invest up to half of their income taxes in projects in areas covered under two government programs that support peacebuilding and development in regions severely affected by the armed conflict in Colombia: Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial and Zonas Más Afectadas por el Conflicto Armado.

So far, this project is the only project registered in the obras por impuestos project bank that aims to deliver peacebuilding outcomes while reducing deforestation, restoring ecosystems and improving the livelihoods of smallholders. Right now, we are working to engage eligible companies to invest in the project.

That obras por impuestos project is a product of years of in-depth research and engagement with Colombian cocoa value chain stakeholders, including the government.

The research our team did came initially through the Sustainable Land Use Systems Project, which had the backing of Germany’s climate financing arm, the International Climate Initiative. The SLUS project generated more than 20 peer-reviewed papers and several datasets over five years. Later on, it also had the support of the CGIAR Initiatives on Low-Emission Food System, AgriLAC Resiliente, and National Policies and Strategies.

Both the submission and presentation are now part of the record of the UNFCCC, thus creating a legacy of Alliance and CGIAR's work, which can continue to grow.

At the session, delegates expressed support for all the examples presented during the session to be registered in the UNFCCC web-based platform for non-market approaches, otherwise known as the NMA Platform. The platform hosts information on NMAs, including support needed and provided, for participating parties and non-party stakeholders.

That means that the example we presented could be among the first projects that would be lodged into the platform. We aim to make this outcome become a reality by engaging with the focal point of Colombia for Article 6.8.

Our experience in Bonn highlights how the science and engagement of the Alliance and CGIAR can make direct contributions to the UNFCCC processes. We are committed to building on this success and expanding our efforts to helping achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.