The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a new authority, effective August 22, 2025, to oversee the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in India. This new authority, known as the National Designated Authority (NDA) for the Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, supersedes the previous notification governing the matter.
The formation of the NDA acknowledges the significant enhancements in the negotiations and operationalization of the Article 6 mechanisms, which promote voluntary international cooperation to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Composition of the National Designated Authority
The NDA is a high-level, inter-ministerial body constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and comprises representatives from 21 different government bodies, ministries, and organizations:
| Position | Member |
| Chairperson | Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change |
| Member Secretary | Joint Secretary in-charge of the carbon markets, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change |
| Members | Additional Secretary, MoEFCC; Joint Secretary, Climate Change Division, MoEFCC; Representative of the Ministries of External Affairs, Economic Affairs, DPIIT, New and Renewable Energy, Power, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Science and Technology, Steel, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Civil Aviation, Petroleum and Natural Gas; Representative of NITI Aayog, NATCOM, and Bureau of Energy Efficiency; Economic Adviser, MoEFCC; Director, Climate Change Division, MoEFCC; and Divisional Head dealing with climate change and adaptation, MoEFCC. |
Powers and Functions of the NDA
The primary role of the NDA is to act as the host Party responsibility for India, ensuring that all projects contribute to sustainable development and environmental integrity while aligning with national goals.
Key powers and functions include:
- Receiving projects or activities for evaluation, approval, and authorization under the Article 6.2 (cooperative approaches) and Article 6.4 (mechanism) mechanisms.
- Assessing the likelihood of successful implementation and evaluating the extent to which projects meet national sustainable development objectives, prioritizing those with higher benefits.
- Authorizing the use of emission reduction units from projects toward achieving India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and for other international mitigation purposes, including the application of corresponding adjustment.
- Recommending to the Central Government the list of eligible activities for trading emission reduction units and the guidance documents for both Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 mechanisms.
- Maintaining a registry of approved Article 6 projects and their emission reductions through the administrator of the Indian Carbon Market. This includes ensuring the transition of eligible Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from pre-2020 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.
- Ensuring that project developers have reliable information on Article 6, including creating databases for validation and monitoring activities via the Indian Carbon Market portal.
- Establishing sub-committees, working groups, and technical groups to support its functions, and considering matters related to Article 6.8 Non-Market Approaches.
The Member-Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day activities and reports to the Apex Committee for the Implementation of Paris Agreement and the Central Government.