Kazakhstan Advances Its Article 6.2 Market Infrastructure

Kazakhstan has moved to strengthen its carbon market infrastructure through a new partnership between the Qazaq VCM Alliance and the Global Carbon Council (GCC), a Qatar-based carbon standard. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), announced on 24 August 2026, focuses on registry infrastructure and the country's readiness to implement Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.

Wind turbines and solar panels powering Kazakhstan's renewable energy transition. AI generated picture.

Central to the agreement is the potential deployment of GCC's carbon market infrastructure and Interoperable National Registry Solution in Kazakhstan. The system would underpin the operationalisation of Article 6.2, the mechanism that allows countries to transfer mitigation outcomes across borders.

The two parties will work alongside Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to identify Article 6.2 project activities. Renewable energy projects form the initial focus.

GCC will run capacity-building workshops and training on its standards, regulatory requirements, project development cycles, registration and issuance, registry infrastructure, and methodology development.

The MoU builds on Kazakhstan's recent regulatory groundwork. The country amended its environmental regulation to create a legal framework for Article 6 carbon markets, and it subsequently issued its first operating manual for cooperative approaches under the Paris Agreement. These steps support its nationally determined contribution (NDC).

Alim Sailybaev, Acting Chairman of the Qazaq VCM Alliance, said the country's priority is “to build a voluntary carbon market that is practical, trusted and responsive to the needs of local stakeholders.” He said the partnership would help “create clearer pathways for high-integrity projects to participate in both domestic and international carbon markets.”

Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GCC, said the partnership would strengthen “capacity for voluntary and Article 6.2 carbon market implementation and help Kazakhstan receive more carbon finance to achieve its NDC objectives.”

The agreement reflects a wider trend of jurisdictions establishing the standards and registry systems required to participate in Article 6 markets. The infrastructure adopted now will determine how carbon credits from these markets are issued, tracked, and recognised internationally.