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Enhancing International Cooperation

MAAP-ITR

MAAP-ITR

The Mitigation Action Assessment Protocol for International Transfer Readiness (MAAP-ITR) helps countries assess their readiness to engage in carbon markets. The tool highlights key gaps and capacity-building needs, supporting dialogue between governments and development partners. By doing so, it guides the development of the institutional frameworks and market infrastructure needed for effective participation in carbon markets.

Assessing readiness to help countries act on key gaps for carbon market participation

Purpose

The MAAP-ITR helps countries assess their readiness to participate in carbon markets and identify key gaps for action. By highlighting capacity-building needs and supporting dialogue between governments and development partners, the tool guides the development of strong institutional frameworks and market infrastructure. Its repeated use over time allows countries to track progress, while also giving buyers and development agencies insight into evolving needs for technical assistance.

Approach & Structure

The MAAP-ITR takes a step-by-step approach to help countries plan their participation in carbon markets. It begins with a high-level analysis of sectoral emissions, NDC targets, and proposed mitigation actions to identify where carbon market opportunities lie. This first step helps governments and partners understand which sectors are most attractive for voluntary carbon markets, the Article 6.4 mechanism, or Article 6.2 cooperative approaches.

Building on this, the tool provides a structured readiness assessment through four modules that mirror common policy and institutional frameworks:

  • Governance and Institutional Arrangements – roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
  • Authorization and Participation Frameworks – rules and procedures for approving and managing carbon market activities.
  • Accounting, Tracking, and Transparency – systems to ensure robust reporting and prevent double counting.
  • Environmental and Social Integrity – safeguards to ensure activities align with NDCs and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Each module includes key indicators based on international best practice, allowing countries to choose between a simplified assessment (for those at early stages) or a detailed assessment (for those with more advanced frameworks).

By combining a practical entry-level analysis with a comprehensive readiness framework, MAAP-ITR enables countries to identify gaps, prioritize actions, and design robust institutional and policy frameworks for effective engagement in global carbon markets.

Usage

The MAAP-ITR was first developed in 2018 as part of the World Bank’s Mitigation Action Assessment Protocol to help countries prepare for participation in Article 6 cooperative approaches. Since then, it has been regularly updated to reflect new guidance from the Paris Agreement negotiations and evolving best practices. Over time, its scope has expanded beyond Article 6.2 to also cover the Article 6.4 mechanism and voluntary carbon markets, providing a more comprehensive framework for assessing readiness.

The tool has been applied in multiple countries worldwide, with several governments using it repeatedly to track their progress. This iterative use enables countries to measure improvements in institutional frameworks and market infrastructure, while also helping sovereign buyers and development partners monitor changing capacity-building and technical assistance needs.

Access to the tool is available via pmiclimate@worldbank.org.