CDM Project Activity Cycle

Below find a brief description and graphical representation of the CDM project activity project cycle.

• Project Activity Design
  The Guidelines for completing the CDM-PDDs and the Glossary of CDM Terms have been developed by the Executive Board on the basis of the CDM modalities and procedures and the subsequent decisions by the Board. Project participants shall submit information on their proposed CDM project activity using a Project design document (CDM-PDD). Further project design requirements are detailed in the CDM Project Standard

• Notification of CDM prior consideration
  The submission of the "prior consideration of the CDM" form within 6 months of the project start date is a mandatory requirement for all projects which have already started before a PDD has been published for public comments or a new methodology/revision of methodology has been proposed. more »
  
  This is considered an initial notification of the intention to seek CDM status in order to demonstrate that the benefits of the CDM were a decisive factor for taking up the project activity. It has to be submitted to the host country’s DNA and the UNFCCC secretariat within 6 months of the project start date, following the section IV.A. of the CDM Project Cycle Procedure. All submitted notifications are published on the CDM website.

• Proposal of a New Baseline and/ or Monitoring Methodology
  The new baseline methodology shall be submitted by a designated operational entity (DOE) to the CDM Executive Board for review, prior to a validation and submission for registration of this project activity, with the draft project design document (CDM-PDD), including a description of the project and identification of the project participants. more »

• Use of an Approved Methodology
  The approved methodology is a methodology previously approved by the Executive Board and made publicly available along with any relevant guidance. In case of approved methodologies the designated operational entities may proceed with the validation of the CDM project activity and submit project design document (CDM-PDD) for registration. more »

• Validation of the CDM project activity
  Validation is the process of independent evaluation of a CDM project activity or Programm of activities (PoA) by a DOE against the requirements of the CDM rules and requirements, on the basis of the PDD (or PoA-DD and CPA-DDs).

  It is a prerequisite for submitting a request for registration. At the beginning of the validation process, the PDD has to be published on the UNFCCC CDM website inviting comments from the general public. All PDDs open for public comments are available here

  The length of the validation process differs from project to project depending on the individual circumstances of the project. It starts with the publication of a project design document (PDD) which has to be open for public comment for 30 calendar days (or 45 days in the case of large scale afforestation and reforestation projects). The received comments as well as all project-related details have to be thoroughly assessed by the validating designated operational entity (DOE) and reported in a detailed validation report (VR). This process, which is essential for safeguarding the high quality and environmental integrity of the CDM, can take from 9 months to 2 years and sometimes longer (in exceptional cases). During the validation process, corrective actions by the project participant may be required by the validating designated operational entity (DOE), in order to meet the standards of the CDM.

• Registration of the CDM project activity
  Registration is the formal acceptance by the Executive Board of a validated project as a CDM project activity. Registration is the prerequisite for the verification, certification andissuance of CERs related to that project activity. more »

• Certification/ Verification of the CDM project activity
  Verification is the periodic independent review and ex post determination by the designated operational entity of the monitored reductions in anthropogenic emissions by sources of greenhouse gases that have occurred as a result of a registered CDM project activity during the verification period. Certification is the written assurance by the designated operational entity that, during a specified time period, a project activity achieved the reductions in anthropogenic emissions by sources of greenhouse gases as verified. more »

• Issuance of CERs
  Issuance is the instruction by the CDM Executive Board to the CDM Registry Administrator to issue a specified quantity of CERs, lCERs, or tCERs for a project activity or PoA, as applicable, into the pending account of the Board in the CDM registry, for subsequent distribution to accounts of project participants in accordance with the CDM rules and requirements. more »