Article 6 of the Paris Agreement sets out how countries can work together on climate action, including generating and trading carbon credits across borders. Article 6 corresponding adjustments are one of the key mechanisms holding that system together and understanding how they work is becoming increasingly important as the market moves from policy into practice.
What are the corresponding adjustments?
At a basic level, corresponding adjustments are about making sure the same emission reduction isn’t counted twice.
When a country transfers a carbon credit, or ITMO, to another country or buyer, it can’t keep claiming that same reduction toward its own climate target. Instead, it has to adjust its accounting so that reduction is no longer included. The buyer can then use it instead.
It’s a simple idea and an important one. Without that adjustment, the same ton of CO2 could end up being counted in more than one place. With it, there’s a clearer line around who gets to claim what.
What examples have we seen so far?
We’re starting to see this play out in practice through early Article 6.2 agreements.
One of the first real transfers, with Thailand authorizing 1,916 units in 2023 and 49,717 more in 2026, and Switzerland receiving them through KliK. It’s a clear example of the full process working end-to-end.
The first African transfer, with Ghana issuing 11,733 ITMOs to Switzerland. It highlights the trade-off directly. Ghana brings in finance, but once transferred, those reductions no longer count toward Ghana’s target.
A transfer of 1,009 units from a floating solar project in Thailand to Japan. It shows how the existing Joint Crediting Mechanism is being adapted to fit Article 6, rather than creating something new.
A 433-unit transfer from a smart mini-grid system in the Maldives to Japan. Small in scale, but it represents how most transactions are still at this stage, with countries working through authorization, tracking, and reporting.
A pilot transfer of ITMOs from biomass-based carbon removal with permanent geological storage in Norway to Swiss buyers. It shows Article 6 moving beyond avoided emissions to include carbon removal. This points to how Article 6 could support the growth of high-durability CDR as it becomes more relevant for long-term climate strategies.
How else are corresponding adjustments being used?
So far, most examples of corresponding adjustments come from transfers between countries. But that’s only part of the picture.
Corresponding adjustments can also be applied within a country, depending on how those credits are used. Instead of being transferred to another country, governments can authorize credits for use under different international frameworks, like CORSIA, or for specific buyers.
In many cases, this happens through unilateral authorizations, where countries approve credits for international use without a single bilateral deal in place.
Around 25 million credits authorized from Guyana’s national forest programme. Rather than a bilateral transfer, these are positioned for international use, including potential use under CORSIA, showing how corresponding adjustments can be applied at a jurisdictional scale.
Roughly 2.1 million credits authorized across a mix of forestry and energy projects.
Around 736,000 credits authorized from individual projects.
Why do corresponding adjustments matter?
As more of these transactions happen, corresponding adjustments are starting to move out of the background. They’re what make the system credible in the first place.
For buyers, especially those using credits toward compliance or international targets, corresponding adjustments provide confidence that what they are purchasing is valid. For sellers and host countries, they introduce a trade-off. Authorizing a transfer can unlock finance and support projects, but it also means giving up the ability to count those reductions toward domestic targets.
This is particularly relevant for European buyers. The European Union has signaled it will allow international credits from 2036, meaning demand for properly adjusted, high-integrity credits is expected to grow significantly over the next decade and corresponding adjustments will be central to determining which credits qualify.
For the market as a whole, corresponding adjustments are beginning to shape supply. As seen in other mechanisms like CORSIA, not all credits are immediately usable. Delays or limits in authorization and adjustments can constrain availability, creating a gap between what exists on paper and what can actually be used.
Taken together, corresponding adjustments aren’t just an accounting rule. They’re part of what decides how this market develops, and who participates in it.
See how corresponding adjustments are shaping the Article 6 market
Our latest report, The Article 6 Market: Scale, Value and Pipeline, tracks how the market is translating from policy into real transactions. Download the report here to see where it stands today.