As the world accelerates toward decarbonization, the establishment of robust, transparent, and interoperable carbon markets has become a cornerstone of global climate ambition. Carbon markets are no longer only policy instruments; they are evolving into essential infrastructure for climate finance, cooperation, and accountability.
The Paris Agreement’s Article 6 provides a historic opportunity to increase the credibility and scale of carbon markets. Article 6.2 facilitates the ability of countries to voluntarily enter into cooperative approaches to trade Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) to increase overall NDCs ambition. In parallel, Article 6.4, also called the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), is establishing an internationally centralized crediting mechanism under the UNFCCC, building on the foundation established by the Clean Development Mechanism. PACM is providing a new high environmental integrity reference, with a strong focus on supporting sustainable development, boosting credibility and trust among international carbon market actors.
Key enablers — including robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) infrastructure, digital and AI-based monitoring tools, and enabling policy and regulatory frameworks — are critical to underpin trust and integrity. Voluntary carbon market stakeholders such as global standards and independent registries are also responding to the call for higher environmental integrity by introducing stricter methodologies and digital MRV integration, among other things.
Against this backdrop, GGGWeek’s expert session on Carbon Market Development and its Enablers will convene policymakers, regulators, technical experts, and standard-setters to exchange lessons, identify synergies, and chart pathways for implementing higher environmental integrity among international carbon markets.
Sang-Hyup Kim became Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) on January 1, 2025, returning to the organization he helped establish in 2012. His 40-year career spans media, academia, and policymaking, dedicated to sustainable development and climate action.
He previously co-chaired Korea’s Presidential Commission on 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth and has advised KAIST, where he also serves as Visiting Professor. He was President of the Jeju Research Institute, Director of KAIST’s Center for Sustainable Development, and founder of the Coalition for Our Common Future, alongside numerous national and regional leadership roles.
Vice president, Investment Solutions, AIIB
Director, Strategy and Development Group
Principal, Green Investments, Asia, GGGI
Senior Program Manager, Energy Transition Partnership
Kyu-Uk Lee serves as a Carbon Markets Officer at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), where he works with the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Article 6 cooperation in the blue carbon and marine sector, supports project-based mitigation design in GGGI member countries—particularly in developing countries—and works on practical arrangements related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. He has previously worked on the design and operational support of the Korea Offset Program under the Korea Emissions Trading Scheme, including support for domestic offset projects and market liquidity. His focus is on structuring Article 6 cooperation — including authorization and corresponding adjustments — to prevent overselling and to preserve the host country’s ability to contribute to NDC targets.
CEO of Gold Standard
Robert N. Stavins is the A. J. Meyer Professor of Energy & Economic Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, Director of Graduate Studies for the Doctoral Programs in Public Policy and Political Economy & Government, Co Chair of the Harvard Business School Kennedy School Joint Degree Programs, and Director of the Harvard Project on Climate Agreements. He is a University Fellow of Resources for the Future, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, an elected Fellow of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Resources for the Future, and Co-Editor the Journal of Wine Economics. He was Founding Editor of the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Chairman of the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, and a Lead Author of the Second, Third, and Fifth Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His research has focused on diverse areas of environmental economics and policy, and has appeared in hundreds of articles in leading economics, law, and policy journals, as well as more than a dozen books. He has been a consultant to several U.S. Administrations, Members of Congress, environmental advocacy groups, the World Bank, the United Nations, state and national governments, and private foundations and firms. He holds a B.A. in philosophy from Northwestern University, an M.S. in agricultural economics from Cornell, and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard.
As Chief Ecosystem Development Officer (CEDO), Sonia drives CIFF’s commitment to strengthen global ecosystems to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges facing children. She oversees efforts to strengthen philanthropic communities and institutions, including the incubation of new infrastructure the co-design of innovative strategies. Sonia sits on the board of several strategic CIFF partners and grantees.
Sonia also leads CIFF’s Climate Change team and portfolio, which is working to accelerate the transition to a low emissions future for children. Over 50 professionals at CIFF manage more than $1billion in active investments, spanning a range of sectors, including energy, transport, industry, food and land use, alongside cross-cutting strategic levers such as climate finance, diplomacy, legal action, and communications.
Prior to joining CIFF in 2013, Sonia was Chief Operating Officer of a start-up company with a mission to connect Africa to the green energy economy by developing high-quality biomass supply chains. Previously, Sonia worked at EcoSecurities, one of the world’s largest carbon offset project developers, from start-up to acquisition by J.P. Morgan & Chase. She was US Country Director and before that Global Head of Origination managing 20 local teams on five continents. Sonia started her career at the United Nations Environment Program.
Sonia holds a BSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of Madrid, an MSc in Environmental Change and Management (specialisation in Energy and Environmental Economics) from the University of Oxford and an Executive MBA from the London Business School. Sonia was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2014.
Senior Director, Environment Defense Fund
He analyzes policies and markets of climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy, and industry restructuring, and has been involved in various sustainability related initiatives. He provides advices long term sustainable strategy to Mitsui & Co., and other companies. He also has been participated in study groups and committees of Japanese government.
Before joining the institute, he worked for Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) as Special Advisor to Governor. He arranged numerous international project finance and policy base lending.
He wrote many articles, including carbon markets, energy and finance, climate adaptation, climate risk management under climate change.
Board of Directors for International Emission Trading Association, ICAO CORSIA Task Force (WG4, WG5) and LMR-TG, ISO TC265 Expert, Chairman of Science and Technology Committee for Environment and Energy (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), Technology Review Expert for NEDO, and Advisor for GLOBE Japan.
Lecturer of Dokkyo University and Hosei University
Tong-Q LEE has served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Latvia. He is currently working as Honorary Professor of Korea National Diplomatic Academy.
He served as the Deputy Director-General of the Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Scientific Affairs Bureau in 2018 and has worked in a wide spectrum of climate change and energy transition issues, including climate change negotiations. He was a leading official in making the UN International Day of Clean Air and blue skies to tackle air pollution and facilitate energy transition. He was Director-General, Climate Change, Energy, Environmental and Scientific Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Republic of Korea from 2020 to 2022.
As the world accelerates toward decarbonization, the establishment of robust, transparent, and interoperable carbon markets has become a cornerstone of global climate ambition. Carbon markets are no longer only policy instruments; they are evolving into essential infrastructure for climate finance, cooperation, and accountability.
The Paris Agreement’s Article 6 provides a historic opportunity to increase the credibility and scale of carbon markets. Article 6.2 facilitates the ability of countries to voluntarily enter into cooperative approaches to trade Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) to increase overall NDCs ambition. In parallel, Article 6.4, also called the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), is establishing an internationally centralized crediting mechanism under the UNFCCC, building on the foundation established by the Clean Development Mechanism. PACM is providing a new high environmental integrity reference, with a strong focus on supporting sustainable development, boosting credibility and trust among international carbon market actors.
Key enablers — including robust Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) infrastructure, digital and AI-based monitoring tools, and enabling policy and regulatory frameworks — are critical to underpin trust and integrity. Voluntary carbon market stakeholders such as global standards and independent registries are also responding to the call for higher environmental integrity by introducing stricter methodologies and digital MRV integration, among other things.
Against this backdrop, GGGWeek’s expert session on Carbon Market Development and its Enablers will convene policymakers, regulators, technical experts, and standard-setters to exchange lessons, identify synergies, and chart pathways for implementing higher environmental integrity among international carbon markets.