Skip to content
As part of New Zealand’s broader engagement with Southeast Asia on climate change, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is advancing initiatives to support emissions reduction and sustainable development across Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States. Under the ASEAN–New Zealand Strategic Partnership, MFAT is exploring opportunities to leverage New Zealand expertise and international carbon markets to accelerate the deployment of climate-smart agricultural practices in the region.
Environmental Accounting Services (EAS), in partnership with an MFAT external consultant, was commissioned to develop a shortlist and feasibility assessment of proven agricultural mitigation practices that have the potential to be scaled up in one or more ASEAN Member States using international carbon market cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
The Project
The project supports objectives outlined in the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN–New Zealand Strategic Partnership (2021–2025), particularly those under Section 3.5 relating to climate change cooperation. The initiative supports joint efforts between ASEAN Member States and New Zealand to address climate change challenges while promoting sustainable development across the region.
EAS was tasked with evaluating a range of New Zealand agricultural mitigation technologies, identifying a shortlist of proven practices with the strongest potential to support New Zealand’s engagement in carbon market activities, and undertaking a detailed assessment of the the technical and operational feasibility, as well as the mitigation potential, of the three most promising options.
Project Objectives
Through the completion of this project, the objectives were to:
Understand which New Zealand developed agriculture mitigation practices and technologies had the most potential for deployment in ASEAN Member States.
Assess the feasibility and mitigation potential of two to three of the most promising shortlisted options in ASEAN context.
Assess the potential for New Zealand engagement using Article 6 cooperation for deployment of climate-smart agriculture mitigation practices in the region.
Why MFAT chose to work with EAS
EAS was selected by MFAT due to our extensive track record spanning almost 20 years, supporting both government and private sector clients in the design and providing insights through research and data analysis aimed at facilitating informed climate change mitigation action.
EAS brings extensive experience in developing and operationalising greenhouse gas mitigation methodologies, monitoring frameworks, and assurance-ready measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems. This expertise, combined with decades of experience in agricultural and land-based systems in ASEAN countries, positioned EAS to effectively evaluate the feasibility of deploying mitigation technologies in ASEAN Member States and identifying opportunities for emissions reduction activities that could generate shared benefits while strengthening trade and climate cooperation objectives.
EAS brings extensive experience in developing and operationalising carbon methodologies, monitoring frameworks, and assurance-ready measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems aligned with leading standards, (Verra and Gold Standard), as well as emerging integrity frameworks such as the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles.
Understanding Article 6 Mechanisms
A key strength of EAS is our understanding of the technical, policy, and institutional requirements underpinning Article 6 mechanisms, including alignment with host country Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), corresponding adjustment considerations, and the need for robust accounting to avoid double counting.
This enabled EAS to coordinate with the MFAT external consultant to identify credible pathways for emissions reduction activities that could generate high-integrity carbon outcomes and shared value between host countries.
Our Approach
The shortlist assessment identified methane inhibitors, a low-emission manure management system, and urease inhibitors as having the most potential for deployment in select ASEAN Member States in the timeframes considered.
EAS undertook a country-level assessment across all ASEAN Member States to evaluate enterprise scale, degree of commercialisation, and supply chain maturity within key agricultural systems. Countries with more commercialised, or emerging commercialisation, in dairy, pig, poultry, and cropping systems were prioritised as these contexts were assessed as more likely to have the management structures, institutional support, and data collection capacity required to enable effective technology implementation.
The feasibility assessment evaluated each technology against key criteria, including policy alignment and regulatory readiness, socio-economic barriers and risks, and practical implementation considerations for each technology.
Our work also assessed the potential marketability of carbon credits generated from these interventions and included a high-level cost-benefit analysis. Together, these components informed an integrated assessment of the overall technical, operational, and economic feasibility of technology deployment in ASEAN member states.
Project Deliverables
The project delivered:
A shortlist report of proven agricultural mitigation practices with strong potential for carbon market application and support by New Zealand.
A draft report assessing the feasibility and scaling potential of three shortlisted mitigation options for implementation under Article 6 cooperation. This report included evaluation of methodology credibility, cost per tCO₂e, alignment with national policies and programmes, and key socio-economic barriers and risks.
A final report outlining the feasibility of deploying selected technologies in ASEAN Member States, including clear pathways to implementation. This included assessment of opportunities to scale the deployment of methane inhibitors, a low-emission manure management system, and urease inhibitor technologies across ASEAN Member States through international carbon markets.
Outcome
The project delivered clear, evidence-based recommendations and suggestions for practical implementation pathways, supporting informed decision-making on the use of New Zealand expertise and investment to most effectively accelerate emissions reductions while strengthening regional partnerships.
Photo by Geio Tischler on Unsplash
