Code of Conduct

1. Purpose

The Observatory exists to support robust understanding, accountability, and integrity in the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This Code of Conduct sets out the standards of professional, ethical, and operational behaviour expected of all contributors to the Article 6 Observatory ("the Observatory") including its members, affiliated organisations, advisors, staff, researchers or other partners.

All members and collaborators of the Article 6 Observatory are expected to read, understand, and adhere to this Code of Conduct in both internal activities and public engagement.

2. Core Principles

All activities of the Observatory shall be guided by the following principles:

A. Independence

• The Observatory operates independently of political, commercial, and financial interests.
• Analysis, publications, and public statements shall be free from undue influence.
• Conflicts of interest must be disclosed promptly and managed transparently.
• Funding sources shall not influence research findings, conclusions, or recommendations.

B. Accessibility of Resources

• The Observatory is committed to equitable access to its research, data, and outputs.
• Publications, methodologies, and datasets should be made publicly available wherever possible.
• Efforts shall be made to communicate findings clearly and accessibly to diverse audiences, including policymakers, civil society, and affected communities.
• Barriers to participation, including those related to geography, language, or capacity, should be actively reduced wherever possible.

C. Environmental Integrity

• The Observatory promotes high standards of environmental integrity in carbon markets and cooperative approaches under Article 6.
• Work shall support accurate accounting, avoidance of double counting, additionality, permanence, and robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).
• Findings shall not misrepresent mitigation outcomes or overstate environmental benefits.
• The Observatory shall not endorse mechanisms or practices that undermine global climate ambition.

D. Social Integrity, Including Human Rights

• All work shall respect internationally recognised human rights standards.
• The Observatory acknowledges the importance of safeguards for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and vulnerable groups.
• Activities and partnerships shall promote equity, just transitions, and meaningful stakeholder participation.
• Harassment, discrimination, or exclusion within Observatory activities will not be tolerated.

E. Transparency

• Research methodologies, assumptions, data sources, and limitations shall be clearly documented.
• Funding sources and institutional affiliations shall be disclosed publicly.
• Decision-making processes within the Observatory should be clear and documented.
• Errors, once identified, shall be corrected promptly and publicly.

F. Rigorous Scientific Evidence Base

• The Observatory's outputs shall be grounded in credible, peer-reviewed, and up-to-date scientific evidence.
• Analysis shall be methodologically sound, replicable where possible, and proportionate to available data.
• Where uncertainty exists, it shall be explicitly acknowledged.
• The Observatory shall engage constructively with academic and expert communities to ensure quality and accuracy.

3. Professional Conduct

All participants shall:

• Act with integrity, honesty, and respect.
• Engage in constructive dialogue, including where views differ.
• Avoid misrepresentation of the Observatory's positions or findings.
• Protect confidential information where legitimately required.

4. Accountability

• Breaches of this Code may be reviewed by the Observatory's Steering Committee.
• Corrective actions may include clarification statements, recusal from activities, or termination of membership and/or organisational affiliation where appropriate.
• The Code shall be reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with evolving best practices.