Highlights -- 72nd meeting of the CDM Executive Board

Highlights -- 72nd meeting of the CDM Executive Board

Executive Board crafts recommendations for
improved Clean Development Mechanism

For the full report of the meeting see
<http://cdm.unfccc.int/EB/index.html>.


Bonn, 8 March 2013 – The Executive Board of the Kyoto
Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has agreed on
22 recommendations aimed at making the CDM a more efficient
and effective tool in the international response to climate
change.

When they met in Doha, Qatar, last December, countries
agreed to a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol,
running until the end of 2020, and initiated a review of the
rules that govern the CDM.

The CDM Board was asked to submit recommendations on
possible changes to the mechanism’s modalities and
procedures, drawing on experience gained by the Board, the
UNFCCC secretariat and stakeholders.

“We have drawn on more than 10 years of experience in this
work, and hope our political masters, the Parties to the
Kyoto Protocol, will appreciate our recommendations,” said
Board Chair Peer Stiansen at the close of the Board’s 72nd
meeting.

The recommendations range from calls for elaboration on the
role of countries that host CDM projects and what should
happen when a country withdraws a project’s letter of
approval, to a recommendation that could better ensure that
stakeholders’ views are taken into account during the
vetting of projects.

Parties to the Protocol will consider the recommendations in
June in Bonn, together with submissions from Parties and
observers. The review is to culminate in a decision on
revised modalities and procedures when Parties meet for the
UN Climate Change Conference in Poland at the end of the
year.

The carbon market is currently suffering from low demand,
related to the level of ambition of national commitments to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The price of CDM certified
emission reductions has declined more than 90 per cent in
the past year.

“When demand returns to the carbon market, the CDM will be
ready, more efficient and effective,” said Mr. Stiansen.

Also at the 72nd meeting, the Board made progress on work to
increase the number of transportation projects under the
CDM. The Board requested the secretariat to develop a tool
to assist in setting emissions baselines for the sector,
with standardized parameters that can be applied globally,
and guidelines to help develop standardized baselines at the
national level.

Also at the meeting, the Board made good progress in its
work to strengthen the CDM accreditation system, providing
guidance to the secretariat for the preparation of draft
revisions of key accreditation documents – the CDM
Accreditation Procedure, Accreditation Standard and the DOE
Performance Monitoring Procedure. The revisions, still to be
implemented, are expected to reduce cost and increase
transparency, predictability and consistency in decision-
making.

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