Doha: The Global Carbon Council (GCC), based in Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Head Office, to strengthen climate cooperation and advance carbon market development across the MENA region.
According to Qatar News Agency, Founding Chairman of GCC Dr. Yousef Alhorr and Regional President of KOTRA MENA Byung Ho Kim signed the MoU, marking a milestone partnership that connects Korea's green innovation with GCC's leadership in Carbon Market Infrastructure (CMI).
Commenting on the signing, Founding Chairman of GCC Dr. Yousef Alhorr stated that the collaboration reflects a shared vision to accelerate global climate action through high-integrity carbon markets. By integrating GCC's digital carbon market infrastructure and policy expertise with KOTRA's technological, industrial, and trading capabilities, a bridge is being created between the suppliers and the buyers of high integrity credits, enabling countries and businesses to meet their climate goals with transparency and efficiency while ensuring economic viability.
Regional President of KOTRA MENA Byung Ho Kim expressed anticipation for building stronger cooperation between Korea and the MENA region in carbon neutrality and sustainable development. Partnering with GCC is expected to expand opportunities for Korean climate technology enterprises and foster low-carbon innovation across emerging markets.
Under the MoU, GCC and KOTRA MENA will collaborate in areas such as the promotion of carbon neutrality, facilitation of carbon market mechanisms, knowledge exchange, and project-level collaboration. These initiatives aim to support policy dialogue, enhance transparency in carbon markets, and connect Korean climate-technology enterprises with MENA counterparts.
Through this partnership, GCC and KOTRA MENA will advance digital innovation, institutional dialogue, and technical capacity to operationalize transparent carbon market mechanisms. This supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerates global decarbonization efforts.
The partnership aims to promote joint efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience in the MENA region, while supporting the implementation of market-based mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
This cooperation aligns with KOTRA's mission to promote Korea's low-carbon industries and contribute to achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through international partnerships. It also reinforces GCC's position as the first carbon crediting program from the Global South accredited under CORSIA and ICROA, bridging developed and developing markets to drive high-integrity climate action.