THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 5, 2026

India and Japan have taken a significant step towards operationalising their bilateral carbon market cooperation with the launch of an Operational Manual for the India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), aimed at accelerating deployment of advanced low-carbon technologies and mobilising climate finance.

Japanese Ambassador to India Keiichi Ono and then Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Tanmay Kumar jointly launched the manual in New Delhi on September 30, marking a key milestone in implementation of the JCM under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.

The India-Japan JCM seeks to promote technology cooperation, facilitate climate finance and support high-integrity emission reductions and removals in India, while contributing to sustainable development and strengthening transparency and confidence in international carbon markets.

The launch follows the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries on August 7, 2025, and the subsequent adoption of the Rule of Implementation on June 8, 2026.

With the operational manual now in place, bilateral cooperation is moving from institutional groundwork to implementation, providing project developers and other stakeholders with a clear and transparent framework for undertaking JCM activities.

The manual lays down comprehensive procedures covering the complete project cycle, beginning with submission of a Project Idea Note and extending through project development, assessment, credit issuance and authorisation of JCM credits.

The mechanism is expected to create a structured pathway for India and Japan to deepen cooperation on low-carbon technologies and channel investments towards projects that deliver measurable climate benefits.

By establishing detailed and transparent operating procedures, the JCM is also expected to reinforce the credibility and integrity of bilateral carbon-market cooperation and support the countries' broader climate and sustainable development objectives.