Training on Carbon Markets & Trading

CONCEPT NOTE

TRAINING ON CARBON MARKETS AND TRADING

VENUE: NANYUKI, KENYA

DATES: 7^TH – 10^TH MAY 2024

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1. Background

Since 1994, there has been a global consensus that climate change is increasingly becoming human’s greatest threat in recent times. The UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement are supporting rising levels of national ambition. The Paris Agreement, adopted under the UNFCCC, with near universal participation, has led to policy development and target-setting at national and sub-national levels, in particular in relation to mitigation, as well as enhanced transparency of climate action and support.

The Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) shows that human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 in 2011-2020. Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.

Many regulatory and economic instruments have already been deployed successfully. In many countries, policies have enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and accelerated technology deployment, leading to avoided and in some cases reduced or removed emissions. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that mitigation policies have led to several Gt CO2-eq yr-1 of avoided global emissions (medium confidence). At least 18 countries have sustained absolute production-based GHG and consumption-based CO2 reductions for longer than 10 years. These reductions have only partly offset global emissions growth.

In response, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement establishes three cooperative approaches for the post-2020 carbon market participating countries, these are market instruments on Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) and the non-market mechanism. With a well-coordinated approach, Carbon Markets can be a catalyst for achieving the NDC goals and provide investment opportunities for businesses.

The implementation of carbon markets will require participating countries to have robust policies, regulations, procedures, and appropriate institutional arrangements in technologies in place. The Updated NDCs anticipate adopting carbon market strategies to enhance implementation to achieve the targets, raise ambition across the board, and mobilize adaptation finance. As the World seeks to enhance global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts, Kenya exploring innovative approaches to scale-up emissions reductions and foster private sector investment in mitigation technologies. Economic instruments, such as emissions trading schemes and carbon taxes, have been proposed to help achieve domestic emission reduction goals and targets cost-effectively.

It is in context that National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) in partnership with Environmental Capacities and Sustainability Institute (ECAS Institute) have designed and planned a four-day training course in recognition that the establishment and operationalization of human capacities are essential for an effective approach addressing climate change and related development needs. This is very crucial because all levels of society need to be aware of mechanisms to reduce poverty through their contribution to solving environmental problems. In this regard, training and updating knowledge of key experts is one of the logical approaches to realize the ambitious targets of emission reduction and capitalizing on carbon investment to spur sustainable development.

As part of these efforts NETFUND and ECAS Institute have planned to carry out paid up training on carbon markets and emissions trading scheduled from 7^th to 10^th May 2024, in Nanyuki. This will be offered to participants that will address issues of climate change, climate finance, carbon assessment; carbon markets and trading; Art 6.2 and 6.4 of Paris Agreement; carbon registry; carbon methodologies and standards; policy and institutional framework for carbon markets and trading.

2.Objective of the training

The overall objective of the training is to strengthen the capacities of participants on carbon markets and trading across various sectors of social and economic development.

Specifically, the training will seek to:

Enhance understanding of climate change adaptation, mitigation, and financing.
Enhance understanding on carbon markets and key emissions trading schemes globally
Enhance the design, development, monitoring and verification of carbon projects.
Enhance stakeholder understanding of community safeguards in carbon markets.
Enhance understanding of policy and regulatory frameworks governing carbon markets.

3. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Our Carbon Markets training course provides a broad picture of the carbon market landscape, covering essential topics and equipping you with the necessary knowledge to succeed. Throughout the course, you will gain insights into:

Introduction to climate change and response measures
The fundamentals of carbon markets and nature-based solutions
Key players in the carbon market
Different project types of carbon offsets
Carbon standards and methodologies
The carbon offset project development cycle.
Trading in carbon offsets
Selecting and sourcing offsets
Pricing offsets
Policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks for carbon trading

4. Duration of the program

The workshop will be held in four (4) days inclusive of field work.

5. Target Participants

This course targets policy makers, practitioners, policy makers, decision makers at international, national, and local levels, businesses and private sector, NGO and civil society organization representatives and youth and educators.

6. TRAINING MODULES

No	Module	Details
	Understanding Climate Change	This will introduce trainees/intended beneficiaries to climate change science and response measures. It will lay the foundation on understanding the drivers of climate change, vulnerability to climate change and their impacts on key areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health, biodiversity, and economy. In addition, the trainees will be introduced to locally led climate action within the president’s new climate ambition. This module will also highlight key strategies for climate change mitigation in line with Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) considering key sectors targeted for emission reduction, that is, Energy, Forestry, Transport, Agriculture and Waste Management. In addition, highlights on programmes and projects implemented in Kenya as case studies on climate change mitigation in different sectors of social economic development and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals
	REDD+ Initiatives & Nature Based Solutions (NbS)	As the momentum behind Nature-based Solutions (NbS) grows worldwide, this module seeks to equip participants to harness NbS effectively, addressing environmental, economic, and societal challenges while benefiting both people and nature. With the potential to fulfill over a third of the world’s climate mitigation needs, NbS are increasingly recognized and implemented in developing sustainable projects and ensure high-integrity application. This module will introduce participants to Nature-based Solutions, Nature-based Solutions applied to pressing challenges, Inclusive Action in Nature-based Solutions, from policy to practice, and the business case for Nature-based Solutions.
	Climate Financing	Financing the transition to a climate-resilient and low-carbon development remains a major challenge for most developing countries. This course aims to provide participants with the tools, methods, and approaches to access climate finance and invest in climate mitigation and adaptation actions.
	Carbon markets and Emissions Trading	The aim of Article 6’s international carbon markets is to allow for enhanced ambition of climate actions for implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to promote sustainable development and environmental integrity. This module will cover concepts and principles of carbon market and trading, operational terms used in carbon markets and trading, types of carbon markets; Procedures, modalities, and rules of carbon market as per Art. 6.2 and 6.4; understanding the carbon registry; standards and methodologies for carbon projects; designing carbon projects for various sectors; and case studies of carbon projects in different sectors.
	Policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks	This module will cover global, regional, and national policies, regulations and institutional frameworks governing carbon market and trading as well as nature best solutions. It will touch on conventions, treaties, agreements, and protocols related to climate change and carbon markets and trading. Participants will also be introduced to carbon market related institutions and governance structures.
	Carbon projects design, develop, measurements, verification and reporting.	This module will cover concepts and principles of measurement, verification and reporting of carbon projects; tools used for measurement and reporting of carbon credits; sector-based carbon verification; role of auditors and verifiers in carbon projects; and crediting periods for carbon projects. In this module trainees will be exposed to electronic templates for timely reporting. The trainees will also be exposed to relevant infrastructure such as dashboards with various features for timely reporting of carbon projects.

7. TRAINING STYLE

The course includes a few guest speakers, both in person and via zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.

The modules will be taught through lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions and other interactive discussion components.

The teaching faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around emissions trading, climate policy, carbon market analysts and industry representatives. Throughout the course theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. Power point presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.

8. Charges

The training will be offered at a cost of Kes 116,000 (Inclusive VAT) for Kenyan citizens or USD 870 (inclusive taxes) for foreign participants. Participants are required to cater for own transport and accommodation for the training period.

9. Dates & Training Venue

The training will be held in Nayuki from 7^th to 10^th May 2024.

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