CDM Registry

The CDM-MOC-FORM (MOC statement) should be used to:

In case of changes to authorized signatories or contact details of an existing focal point entity, MOC Annex 2, sections 1 and 4 should be submitted.

The form should be submitted by a current authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) as per the current MOC or by an authorized signatory of any project participant, through the electronic interface. In the case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized representative of any of the focal point entities for scope (b) may make the submission. 

Additional documentation: When a focal point who is not a project participant is added to represent the project participants for any or all scopes of authority, the submitter shall also upload scanned written evidence of:         

(a) The new focal point’s corporate identity, and

(b) The personal identity and employment status of the new focal point’s authorized signatory(ies), including their specimen signature(s).

All documents shall be submitted in original language and accompanied by an official English translation. Should the presented documents not clearly identify the new focal point representative(s) and his/her specimen signature, the UNFCCC secretariat reserves the right to request additional clarifications and/or documentation.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by:

Section 2: Nomination of focal point entity/ies:  each focal point authorized signatory under ‘Specimen signature.’

Section 3: Statement of Agreement:

• For a project activity:  one signatory per project participant entity.
• For a programme of activities:  only the coordinating/managing entity (CME) on behalf of all project participants.

“Section 3 – statement of agreement” of the modalities of communication statement should be signed (original/wet signature) only after the other sections have been signed (original/wet signature) by the focal point authorized signatories. This is to ensure that the project participants or CME agree to the new statement prior to sending to CDM Registry for action.

MOC Annex 2, sections 1 and 2 should be used to add an entity as a project participant. The same procedure applies when an entity that is already a registered project participant would like to become a project participant under a different Party.

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point (b) as per the current MOC statement, through the electronic interface.  In the case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized signatory of any of the focal point entities scope (b) may make the submission through the electronic interface.

Additional documentation:

• A Letter of Approval (LOA) from the DNA authorizing participation should be attached in the corresponding section.
• If the addition entails changes to focal point entity/ies, a new CDM-MOC-FORM should be submitted subsequently.

Additional requirements: The project participant may indicate the end-date of their participation provided that at least one project participant authorized by the DNA of a host Party to participate in the project activity remains, or select N/A if participation is unlimited.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by the authorized signatory of the added project participant(s) in section 2, and by the authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) in section “Signature(s) of the focal point(s) for scope of authority (b)”.  

The focal point for scope (b) shall submit the following documentation:

• Project participant: MOC Annex 2, Sections 1 and 2 should be submitted in the electronic interface, together with a letter of approval or validating letter that includes reference to both the old and the new names/legal status of the project participant from the DNA authorizing participation.
• Project participant nominated as a focal point entity: a new CDM-MOC-FORM should be submitted in the electronic interface, together with a letter of approval or validating letter that includes reference to both the old and the new names/legal status of the project participant from the DNA authorizing participation.
• Focal point entity who is not a project participant:   a new CDM-MOC-FORM should be submitted in the electronic interface together with scanned written evidence of the new focal point's corporate identity and the personal identity and employment status of the authorized signatory(ies), including their specimen signature(s).  See section on how to " Change the focal point entity and/or scope of authority (MOC)" above. 

MOC Annex 2, sections 1 and 3 should be used to withdraw an entity as a project participant. The procedural requirements differ whether the withdrawal is voluntary, administrative or follows a cessation of business.

In case the withdrawing project participant is also a focal point entity, the entity will remain a focal point entity until a new MOC is submitted or until a request to voluntary withdraw from the role of focal point (Annex 3) is submitted.

Voluntary withdrawal of a project participant: 

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of the withdrawing project participant, through the electronic interface. 

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by:

• in section “For voluntary withdrawal: name of authorized signatory”: the authorized signatory of the project participant(s) concerned;
• in section “Signature(s) of the focal point for scope of authority (b) or the project participant requesting the withdrawal”:
  • for a project activity: the focal point for scope (b) or project participant requesting the withdrawal in accordance with the current Modalities of Communication (MOC).
  • for a programme of activities: the focal point(s) for scope (b).

Should the authorized signatory of the withdrawing entity no longer be available to sign, the legal representative of the entity may do so, providing evidence that he/she is authorized to sign on behalf of the entity concerned.

Such evidence may be provided in any of the following ways:

• A notarized power of attorney confirming the authority of the new focal point representative to act on behalf of the entity. The power of attorney should also include the signature of the new focal point representative for verification purposes or, alternatively, a copy of his/her current passport/national ID should be submitted;
• A notarized or verifiable national company registry certificate which authorizes the new focal point representative and a copy of his/her current passport/national ID;
• A notarized or verifiable resolution of the Board/Governing Body of the entity to include authorization of the new focal point, together with a copy of his/her current passport/national ID.

A passport/national ID submission should include the holder’s signature and his/her printed name in English for verification purposes. All documents shall be submitted in original language and accompanied by an official English translation. Should the presented documents not clearly identify the new focal point representative(s) and his/her specimen signature, the UNFCCC secretariat reserves the right to request additional clarifications and/or documentation. Should the above-mentioned documents be dated older than 24 months at time of submission, the validity of the documents should be certified by a notary.

Administrative withdrawal of a project participant (not applicable for programmes of activities):   

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of any project participant, through the electronic interface

Additional documentation: Evidence of written communication to the non-contactable project participant of the intention to request administrative withdrawal, including the copy of the communication to the DNA that authorized the project participants to participate in the project activity, that has been sent at least 30 days prior to the submission of the withdrawal request to the secretariat.

Additional requirements: This option is available provided at least one project participant authorized by the DNA of the host Party to participate in the CDM registered project activity remains. Once the submission is made in the MOC interface and the documentation is reviewed and deemed complete, the secretariat will send an email to the the project participant for which withdrawal and requested and to its authorizing DNA, to respond within 60 days, asking whether the project participant objects to the administrative withdrawal. If the project participant and the authorizing DNA do not object to the withdrawal within the 60 day-period, the project participant will be marked as withdrawn.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of the project participant requesting the withdrawal. In case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized signatory of each joint focal point has to sign.

Withdrawal due to cessation of a project participant (for technical reasons, choose option “administrative withdrawal” in the MOC electronic interface): 

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of any project participant.

Additional documentation: Evidence of cessation.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of the project participant requesting the withdrawal. In case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized signatory of each joint focal point has to sign. In the case of a POA, only the focal point(s) for scope (b) can sign.

MOC Annex 2, sections 1 and 4 should be used to change the authorized signatories of a project participant or focal point entity, or the contact details of an existing signatory.

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of the affected project participant, through the electronic interface.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) or of the project participant to whom the changes apply. In case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized signatory of each joint focal point has to sign. In the case of a POA, only the focal point(s) for scope (b) can sign.

Should the outgoing authorized signatory no longer be available to sign, the legal representative of the entity may do so, providing evidence that he/she is authorized to sign on behalf of the entity concerned. Such evidence may be provided in either of the following ways:

• A notarized power of attorney confirming the authority of the legal representative to act on behalf of the entity. The power of attorney should also include the signature of the legal representative for verification purposes or, alternatively, a copy of passport/national ID of the legal representative should be submitted;                                                                                                                                                                                                
• A notarized or verifiable national company registry certificate which authorizes the legal representative and a copy of his/her current passport/national ID;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
• A notarized or verifiable resolution of the Board/Governing Body of the entity to include authorization of the legal representative together with a copy of his/her current passport/national ID.

Should the above-mentioned documents be dated older than 24 months at time of submission, the validity of the documents should be certified by a notary.

A passport/national ID submission should include the holder’s signature and his/her printed name in English for verification purposes. All documents should be submitted in original language and accompanied by an official English translation. Should the presented documents not clearly identify the legal representative and his/her specimen signature, the UNFCCC secretariat reserves the right to request additional clarifications and/or documentation.

MOC Annex 2, sections 1 and 5 should be used to add an end-date to the participation of an existing project participant entity, or to change an already declared end-date (to extend or restrict participation in time).       

The form should be submitted by an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b), through the electronic interface.

The form should be signed (original/wet signature) by an authorized signatory of the project participant(s) concerned in section “End-date of participation” and an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (b) in the end section. In case of joint focal points for scope (b), an authorized signatory of each joint focal point has to sign.

The CDM registry is an offset registry that offers limited capabilities in comparison to Kyoto emissions trading registries. The CDM registry was established to track the holding, external forwarding and cancellation of CERs. The CDM registry cannot receive CERs that had been externally forwarded with the exception of the compensation process for excess issuance.

        Who is eligible to apply for a ‘permanent’ holding account?

For an entity to be eligible to request an account opening with the CDM registry, the following requirements have to be met:

-          The applicant is a governmental authority of a non-Annex I Party that hosts at least one registered CDM activity

-          The applicant is a project participants with an authorization from a non-Annex I Party and participates in at least one CDM activity that has issued CERs 

        How do I apply to open a permanent holding account?

An application to open a permanent holding account should be submitted both electronically and in hard copy and should include the following documents:

• CDM-RA-FORM available here;
• Evidence of the current status of the entity (Certificate of Incorporation and/or letter of good standing in the case of registered companies) to be provided from a third party. The document should be notarized with a date not older than one year from date of submission to the secretariat; all applicable information should be highlighted for ease of reference.
• Evidence that the individual signing 'Section 4: Declaration' of the application form has the authority to do so and to act on behalf of the entity concerned. The document should be submitted in the form of a power of attorney or certificate of the registrar of companies. All supporting documentation should be notarized and dated not older than one year from date of submission to the secretariat and applicable information should be highlighted for ease of reference.
• Evidence of the identity of the individuals nominated as representatives of the account and the legal representative as identified in Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the CDM-RA-FORM (e.g. national identity cards/passports).

All documents should be submitted in original language and accompanied by an official English translation where applicable.

Each holding account will be associated with the Party which granted authorisation for their participation (Letter of Approval (LOA)).

The completed form, including attachments, should be submitted electronically to cdm-registry@unfccc.int and should be routed through or copied to the focal point for scope c) of the associated CDM project activity. The signed (original/wet signature) hard copy documentation should be sent to:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
CDM Registry / Mitigation Division
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1
D-53113 Bonn
Germany

        Is it obligatory for Non-Annex 1 project participants to open a permanent holding account?

At time of issuance all CERs are transferred to the pending account of the CDM Registry and may be forwarded directly to a national registry account thereafter. It is therefore not mandatory for project participants to open a permanent holding account in the CDM Registry; such request is at the discretion of the project participants concerned.

        How do I request changes to a CDM Registry holding account

• A request for changes to a CDM Registry holding account should be submitted by one of the existing account representatives or a legal representative of the account holding entity.
• An existing account representative or a legal representative of an entity who wishes to update details of its holding account should contact the CDM Registry Team at cdm-registry@unfccc.int to obtain a copy of the CDM-RA-Change-FORM.

        Are there any costs associated with opening holding accounts in the CDM Registry?

There are no fees associated with opening holding accounts in the CDM Registry.

        How long can CERs remain in the pending account of the CDM Registry?

There is no specific time limit for CERs to remain in the pending account of the CDM Registry. However, it should be noted that there are no provisions allowing the carry-over of CERs held in the pending account in the CDM Registry.

CERs held in the pending account are forwarded to the holding accounts of project participants in accordance with the modalities of communication in place at the time of the request. Project participants should ensure the Share of Proceeds for administrative expenses (SOP Admin.) has been paid in full in order to be able to request the forwarding of CERs.

        How long can CERs remain in a Permanent Holding Account?

There is no specific time limit for CERs to remain in a Permanent Holding Account in the CDM Registry. However, it should be noted that there are no provisions allowing the carry-over of CERs which are held in Permanent Holding Accounts.

        To which accounts can CERs be forwarded to from the CDM Registry?

CERs held in either the pending account or a permanent holding account in the CDM Registry may only be forwarded to entities participating in the CDM project activity which originated the CERs (i.e. whose participation in the project was authorized by an Annex 1 or non-Annex 1 Party); if the project participant entity holds a Letter of Approval (LOA) from an Annex 1 country, the CERs can be forwarded in the account of the entity in the national (Kyoto) registry of the country authorizing participation; if the project participant entity holds a Letter of Approval (LOA) from a non Annex 1 country, the CERs can be forwarded to the CDM registry permanent holding account of the entity under the authorizing country.

What is "forwarding" of CERs

"Forwarding" of CERs is a transaction type within the Kyoto accounting system specific to the CDM registry operations. As per decision 3/CMP.1, Appendix D, paragraph 6, the CDM registry "forwards" CERs to project participants (rather than "transfers" CERs).  This signifies the primary purpose of the CDM registry to issue and deliver CERs to project participants. CDM registry holding accounts cannot acquire externally CERs in contrast to holding accounts in Kyoto national registries.

        What is the procedure to transfer CERs from a Permanent Holding Account to an Annex 1 National Registry Account?

Account representatives are invited to contact the CDM Registry at cdm-registry@unfccc.int in order to obtain a forwarding request form from to forward CERs from a Permanent Holding Account. No hard copy of this forwarding request is required to be submitted to the secretariat.

        What is a Temporary Holding Account?

Temporary holding accounts for project participants with authorisations from an Annex I Parties have been phased out by the CDM Registry Administrator as of 2014.

        How do I forward CERs from the pending account of the CDM Registry to a holding account in a national registry?

• At time of issuance of CERs an issuance notification message is circulated to focal point entities which includes a link to the CDM electronic interface.

• The focal point entities also receive a ‘Forwarding/Voluntary cancellation instructions’ email (at the time of issuance approval or at the time of the share of proceeds payment receipt,. whichever is later) with detailed instructions on how to submit the relevant electronic form (CDM-FWD-FORM).

• Any time later, the focal point entity for scope (a) may proceed to upload an electronic forwarding request for CERs by using the link contained in the issuance notification email and following the guidance in the 'Forwarding/Voluntary cancellation instructions' email. The CERs requested for forwarding must be within the issuance balance available. The process can be repeated until the issuance balance is used up.

• Once the electronic forwarding request has been completed and submitted, a scanned copy of the signed (original/wet signature) forwarding form should be sent to the secretariat at the following email address: cdm-registry@unfccc.int. Please include the Project or PoA number in the email subject line. The request should come from an email account of an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (a) as per the modalities of communication for authentication purpose. In case of joint focal points for scope (a), the email can come from any of the authorized signatories and the joint focal point should be copied in the e-mail message. In case of joint focal points for scope (a), a representative of each focal point entity should sign the form.

• Within 2 working days after receiving the scanned signed forwarding form, the secretariat may, on a sample basis, place a phone call to a focal point for scope (a) signatory to confirm the details of the requested transaction. An authorized signatory should be available on the phone and should be able to confirm the transaction details in English language. The e-mail message submitting the signed forwarding form may indicate available times and the names(s) of the signatory(ies) available to answer the call. The transaction may be processed after three unsuccessful attempts by the secretariat to reach the signatory(ies) on the phone.

• The secretariat reserves the right to request the sending of the original form (hard copy) by mail if in doubt about the authenticity of the scanned form or if it had unsuccessfully attempted to contact the focal point for scope (a). In case the transaction is processed based on a scanned copy, the original form does not need to be sent.

• Alternatively, the focal point for scope (a) may choose to directly mail a hard copy of the duly signed forwarding form to the following address of the secretariat for processing:  

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
CDM Registry / Mitigation Division
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1
D-53113 Bonn
Germany

Please note that forms sent by mail should be with original signatures (original/wet signature). Photocopied forms will be subject to phone authentication.

        How do I forward CERs from a Permanent Holding Account (PHA) in the CDM Registry to a National Registry account?

• Any of the nominated account representatives of a Permanent Holding Account (PHA) may request the forwarding of CERs to a national registry account;

• The account representatives are requested to contact the CDM Registry at cdm-registry@unfccc.int in order to obtain a PHA forwarding request form.

        How long may electronically submitted CER forwarding requests remain pending in CDM Registry prior to rejection?

• CER forwarding requests submitted electronically which are not supported by a signed CDM-FWD-FORM form received at the secretariat within 180 days of the original submission will be automatically rejected unless CDM Registry is requested by focal point entities to extend the validity period for a justified reason.

The procedure for implementing voluntary cancellation in the CDM Registry can be found here.

        How do I voluntarily cancel units (CERs. tCERs, lCERs) from the pending account of the CDM Registry?

• The focal point representatives receive an issuance notification email at the time of issuance request approval, containing a link to the CDM electronic interface.

• The focal point representatives also receive a ‘Forwarding/Voluntary cancellation instructions’ email (at the time of issuance approval or at the time of the share of proceeds payment receipt, whichever is later) with detailed instructions on how to submit the relevant electronic form (CDM-FWD-FORM).

• Any time later, the representatives of the focal point for scope (a) may proceed to upload an electronic voluntary cancellation request for CERs by using the link contained in the issuance notification email and following the guidance in the 'Forwarding/Voluntary cancellation instructions' email. The CERs requested for cancellation must be within the issuance balance available. The process can be repeated until the issuance balance is used up.

• Once the electronic voluntary cancellation request has been completed and submitted, a scanned copy of the signed (original/wet signature) voluntary cancellation form should be sent to the secretariat at the following email address: cdm-registry@unfccc.int. Please include the project / PoA number in the email subject line. The request should come from an email account of an authorized signatory of the focal point for scope (a) as per the modalities of communication for authentication purpose. In case of joint focal points for scope (a), the email can come from any of the authorized signatories and the joint focal point should be copied in the e-mail message. In case of joint focal points for scope (a), a representative of each focal point entity should sign (original/wet signature) the form.

• Within 2 working days after receiving the scanned signed voluntary cancellation form, the secretariat may, on a sample basis, place a phone call to a focal point for scope (a) signatory to confirm the details of the requested transaction. An authorized signatory should be available on the phone and should be able to confirm the transaction details in English language. The e-mail message submitting the signed voluntary cancellation form may indicate available times and the names(s) of the signatory(ies) available to answer the call. The transaction may be processed after three unsuccessful attempts by the secretariat to reach teh signatory(ies) on the phone.

• The secretariat reserves the right to request the sending of the original form (hard copy) by mail if in doubt about the authenticity of the scanned form or if it had unsuccessfully attempted to contact the focal point for scope (a). In case the transaction is processed based on a scanned copy, the original form does not need to be sent.

• Alternatively, the focal point for scope (a) may choose to directly mail a hard copy of the duly signed voluntary cancellation form to the following address of the secretariat for processing:  

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
CDM Registry / Mitigation Division
Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1
D-53113 Bonn
Germany

Please note that forms sent by mail should be with original signatures (original/wet signature). Photocopied forms will be subject to phone authentication.

• Once the voluntary cancellation request is approved, the secretariat will publish an attestation for the cancellation (which is downloadable) at the following link: https://cdm.unfccc.int/Registry/vc_attest/index.html .

        How do I voluntarily cancel (CERs, tCERs, lCERs) from a Permanent Holding Account (PHA) in the CDM Registry?

• Any of the nominated account representatives of a Permanent Holding Account (PHA) may request the voluntary cancellation of units (CERs, tCERs, lCERs);

• The account representatives are requested to contact the CDM Registry at cdm-registry@unfccc.int in order to obtain a PHA forwarding/voluntary cancellation request form.

Who is eligible to make a partial payment of share of proceeds?

Starting 1 January 2018, project participants who have approved requests for issuance with pending payments of their share of proceeds (SOP) for administration may opt to pay the SOP in up to three instalments per issuance. At its 106th meeting, the CDM Executive Board further decided to remove the limit on the number of instalments. The instalment should be at least USD 1,500 unless it is the last instalment for the issuance, in which case it should be at least USD 500.

Certified emission reductions (CERs) will be released for forwarding/voluntary cancellation in proportion to the SOP paid. The first SOP payment should be sufficient to cover the two per cent SOP for adaptation (two per cent of the issued CERs for countries other than least developed countries). Where there is a registration fee balance, the balance shall be added to the first instalment in order to calculate the proportion of CERs to be released and the outstanding SOP. In case there is a deferred registration fee, the portion of the deferred registration fee that is in excess of the SOP due for the issuance shall be paid with the first installment.

How should a project participant lodge a request to make partial SOP payments?

Project participants should send an email through their focal point to the secretariat at cdmregistration@unfccc.int specifying the request for issuance, including the monitoring period and the amount they wish to pay.

Within two working days, the secretariat will send the focal point representatives an email with the payment instructions, including the amount of CERs to be released upon receipt of the partial payment.

How long does it take for the secretariat to process a payment?

It usually takes up to three working days for the secretariat to process a payment, excluding the time for transfer between banks.

Once the payment is processed, a confirmation email, including the number of CERs released for forwarding/voluntary cancellation, will be sent to the focal point representatives.

What happens if bank charges are applied to the amount received?

Payers are responsible for covering all bank charges that apply to SOP payments. If bank charges are deducted from the received amount, the CERs released will be adjusted accordingly.

If the amount is adjusted, a new payment instruction email will be sent as a correction to the original one, and the email confirming the payment will include the adjusted amount of CERs released. Both e-mails will be sent at approximately the same time.

My issuance straddles commitment periods. Can I pay the SOP only for CERs under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol?

For an issuance that straddles two commitment periods, project participants may select CERs for each of the commitment periods according to their preference at the time of forwarding/voluntary cancellation.