The cities of South Asia are growing at an unprecedented rate, and there is potential to steer this development onto a sustainable and green path. Carbon financing serves as a valuable revenue source to help cities earn additional income to support low-carbon development. With the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol on 31 December 2012, a fragmented international carbon market now exists with various approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions outside the national borders of Annex I (industrialized) countries. Considering the potential for low-carbon development in South Asia, there is a need to help countries understand and navigate this new international carbon market. This guidance note: provides an overview of the carbon financing market in the post-2012 context; guides
readers on how to access carbon finance; and highlights good practices in low-carbon urban development.