- Why in news
- On 30 September 2026, India and Japan launched the Operational Manual for the India–Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi. The release was posted on 5 October 2026.
- What it is
- The Joint Crediting Mechanism is a bilateral carbon crediting arrangement between India and Japan under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. Japan supports low-carbon projects in the partner country and receives credits for the emission reductions achieved. Credits are tracked through authorisation and corresponding adjustments to avoid double counting.
- Legal basis
- The India–Japan JCM works under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to cooperate through bilateral carbon market arrangements.
- Aims
- The JCM aims to deploy advanced low-carbon technologies, mobilise climate finance, facilitate technology cooperation and support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India.
- What the Manual covers
- The Manual sets out procedures for the whole project cycle, from the Project Idea Note to the issuance and authorisation of JCM credits.
- Who launched it
- The Japanese Ambassador, Keiichi Ono, and the MoEFCC Secretary jointly launched the Manual in New Delhi.
Don’t confuse with Article 6.2 vs Article 6.4: Article 6.2 covers bilateral or voluntary cooperative approaches between countries. Article 6.4 creates a centralised mechanism under UN supervision.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Gives India access to Japanese technology and climate finance for low-carbon projects.
- Helps build a transparent, credible framework for India's role in international carbon markets.
Problems
- Credits must be authorised and accounted for carefully to avoid double counting with India's own NDC targets.
- Project-level measurement and verification must remain high-integrity to keep buyer confidence.
Way forward
- Align JCM projects with India's domestic carbon market and NDC goals.
- Build institutional and monitoring capacity so projects move smoothly from idea to credit issuance.
Put in your answer
Implementation timeline: Use the MoC (Aug 2025), RoI (Jun 2026) and Manual (Sep 2026) as an example of stepwise operationalisation of Article 6.2 cooperation.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Statements
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The India–Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism is a bilateral arrangement under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
- 2.The Operational Manual of the India–Japan JCM covers procedures only for the issuance of credits and not for the early stage of project proposals.
- 3.Under Article 6.2 arrangements, countries make corresponding adjustments to avoid double counting of emission reductions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
True or false?
1 of 5
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The India–Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism is a bilateral arrangement under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
True. It operates under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
2.The Memorandum of Cooperation for the India–Japan JCM was signed before the Rule of Implementation was adopted.
True. MoC on 7 August 2025; RoI on 8 June 2026.
3.The Operational Manual covers procedures only for the issuance of credits and not for the early stage of project proposals.
False. It covers the entire project cycle, from the Project Idea Note to issuance and authorisation of credits.
4.The mechanism seeks to support emission reductions as well as removals in India.
True. It supports high-integrity emission reductions and removals.
5.Under Article 6.2 arrangements, countries make corresponding adjustments to avoid double counting of emission reductions.
True. Corresponding adjustments prevent the same reduction being counted by both countries.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
10 marks · 150 words
India and Japan have launched the Operational Manual for the Joint Crediting Mechanism under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. Examine how bilateral carbon crediting arrangements of this kind work and discuss their significance and challenges for India's climate action.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.