Republic of Malawi · Carbon Market Office An EAD service · Est. 2025
Malawi Carbon Market Office

The Paris Agreement mechanism

The Article 6.4 route — centrally supervised by the UNFCCC, with Malawi approving as host Party.

Article 6.4 establishes a centrally governed mechanism, supervised by a UNFCCC Supervisory Body under the authority of the Paris Agreement’s governing meeting. It works in much the same way as the Clean Development Mechanism did, and Malawi has been a Designated National Authority for the CDM since 2007.

Malawi has expressed its intention to participate as a host Party. Most of the cycle below is run by the UNFCCC — Malawi’s decisive moments are the host Party approval and the authorization of units.

Malawi controls two steps, not the whole cycle

Registration, validation review and issuance sit with the UNFCCC Supervisory Body and its accredited Designated Operating Entities. What Malawi decides is whether to approve the activity as host Party, and whether to authorize its units for use towards another country’s target or for other international mitigation purposes.

01 The activity cycle

The Article 6.4 activity cycle

The centralised pathway supervised by the UNFCCC Article 6.4 Supervisory Body. Malawi’s role is to approve the activity as host Party and, where units are authorized, to apply the corresponding adjustment.

  1. 01

    Conceptualise the activity

    Participant-led
    Activity participant

    The participant prepares the activity’s scope, description and supporting information.

  2. 02

    Notify prior consideration

    Within 180 days of the activity start date
    Activity participant

    The participant notifies the UNFCCC Secretariat of an intention to seek registration. Where the activity has already started, the notification must follow within 180 days of the start date.

    Produces
    • Prior consideration notification
  3. 03

    Develop the design document

    Within one year of prior consideration
    Activity participant

    The participant prepares a design document on the UNFCCC’s form, in accordance with the Article 6.4 Activity Standard, for global stakeholder consultation and validation.

    Produces
    • A6.4M-PDD-FORM design document
  4. 04

    Submit for global stakeholder consultation

    Within one year of prior consideration
    Activity participant

    The design document is submitted to the UNFCCC for consultation, and the submission is communicated to the Secretariat.

  5. 05

    Global stakeholder consultation

    28 days
    UNFCCC Secretariat

    The UNFCCC publishes the design document and receives comments in English from admitted observer organisations for 28 days. Comments are published and notified to Malawi.

    Produces
    • Published stakeholder comments
  6. 06

    Host Party approval

    Up to 90 days from the start of consultation
    Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change

    Taking account of the information shared by the UNFCCC and any comments received, Malawi may approve the proposed activity and issue an Approval Support Statement.

    Produces
    • Template D — Approval Support Statement
  7. 07

    Modalities of Communication

    Participant-led
    Activity participant

    The participant designates one or more focal points to communicate on its behalf with the Supervisory Body and the Secretariat, using the UNFCCC statement form.

    Produces
    • A6.4MM-MOC-FORM statement
  8. 08

    Validation by a Designated Operating Entity

    Depends on the activity and the entity
    Designated Operating Entity

    The participant engages a UNFCCC-accredited Designated Operating Entity, which validates the activity against the Article 6.4 Validation and Verification Standard.

    Produces
    • Validation report
  9. 09

    Submission for registration and payment of fees

    On notification
    Designated Operating Entity, then the participant

    The Designated Operating Entity submits the documentation and positive validation report through the UNFCCC interface. The participant then pays the corresponding UNFCCC fees.

    Produces
    • Request for registration
  10. 10

    Completeness check

    On scheduling
    UNFCCC Secretariat

    The Secretariat schedules the request and checks whether the submission is complete.

  11. 11

    Substantive check

    21 days
    Article 6.4 Supervisory Body

    On a positive completeness check, the Supervisory Body conducts a substantive review of all submitted documentation within 21 days.

  12. 12

    Request for registration

    Within 28 days of the substantive check
    Article 6.4 Supervisory Body

    On a positive substantive check the Supervisory Body may approve the activity, and communicates the outcome to Malawi, the participant and the Designated Operating Entity.

  13. 13

    Registration

    On approval
    Article 6.4 Supervisory Body

    The Supervisory Body registers the activity. Monitoring, verification and issuance then follow the Article 6.4 activity cycle procedure, with a 5% levy of units at issuance for adaptation and a minimum 2% cancelled for overall mitigation.

    Produces
    • Registered Article 6.4 activity
02 Side by side

How 6.4 differs from a cooperative approach.

Both routes can end in an authorized, corresponding-adjusted unit. The governance in between is not the same.

Cooperative approaches

Article 6.2

Rules set by
Malawi and the partner country, bilaterally
Design document reviewed by
The Environmental Affairs Department and the Mitigation Expert Working Group
Independent assessor
An eligible validation and verification body
Registered on
The Malawi Carbon Registry System
Stakeholder consultation
National, as part of the design document
Levy at issuance
Buffer retention of 1–5%, by activity scale
The Paris Agreement mechanism

Article 6.4

Rules set by
The CMA and the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body
Design document reviewed by
The Supervisory Body, after a completeness and substantive check
Independent assessor
A UNFCCC-accredited Designated Operating Entity
Registered on
The UNFCCC mechanism registry
Stakeholder consultation
Global — 28 days, open to admitted observer organisations
Levy at issuance
5% for adaptation, plus a minimum 2% cancelled for overall mitigation
03 Host Party duties

What Malawi must make public.

Participation carries transparency obligations towards the Supervisory Body, discharged through this Framework and subsequent notifications.

  1. 01
    How engagement benefits communities and national development

    The assessment of sustainable development remains a national prerogative.

  2. 02
    The categories of activity Malawi is willing to authorize

    Drawn from the eligible NDC sectors, and excluding everything on the negative list.

  3. 03
    How activities contribute to the NDC and to long-term strategy

    Including any resulting emission reductions.

  4. 04
    Baseline approaches and methodological requirements Optional

    Including additionality, and an explanation of consistency with the NDC.

  5. 05
    Crediting periods and any options for renewal Optional

    With an explanation of how they align with the NDC and the low-emissions development strategy.

Article 6 Framework, section 3.2, under Decision 3/CMA.3.

Next step

Considering the 6.4 route?

Host Party approval is where Malawi enters the cycle. Speak to the Office before you notify prior consideration, not after.

Talk to the Office Compare all routes →