Philippines and Singapore Sign Article 6.2 ITMO Agreement, Held Up as ASEAN Model

The Philippines and Singapore signed a joint implementation agreement on 30 April on the sidelines of the ASEAN Climate Weekin the Philippines, creating a framework for high-integrity bilateral climate cooperation and transfers of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. Senior officials from both governments characterised the accord as a replicable template for the wider ASEAN membership.

Philippine Environment and Natural Resources Minister Juan Miguel T. Cuna said the arrangement opens fresh investment channels in renewable energy, waste management, methane abatement, and climate-smart agriculture. Singapore’s Minister of Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the cooperation will direct climate finance toward high-impact projects on the Philippine side and generate carbon market opportunities for local communities there. A senior Philippine DENR official, Analiza Teh, noted that the deal demonstrates regional carbon market cooperation has moved beyond theory into concrete implementation.

Under the agreement, the two countries will activate a joint committee, establish and integrate national ITMO registries, and open a formal project authorisation process. Proceeds from ITMO transfers are intended to fund reforestation, forest protection, sustainable energy development, and community-level climate programmes in the Philippines.