In Focus

Share

Rules on mandatory site visits by DOEs

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), at its 114th meeting, reviewed its past decisions allowing alternative means to mandatory on-site inspections by designated operational entities (DOEs) for validation or verification due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which would expire on 30 June 2022, and decided not to grant further extensions of such past decisions. After 30 June 2022, the Board considers requests for such exemptions on a case-specific basis (see paragraphs 9 and 10 of the 114th CDM Executive Board meeting report).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), at its 112th meeting, agreed to further extend the period in which DOEs may apply alternative measures of validation/verification to mandatory on-site inspections until 30 June 2022.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), at its 110th meeting, agreed to further extend the period in which DOEs may apply alternative measures of validation/verification to mandatory on-site inspections until 31 December 2021.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), at its 108th meeting, agreed to further extend the period in which DOEs may apply alternative measures of validation/verification to mandatory on-site inspections until 30 June 2021.

The Board had agreed on 23 June 2020, to extend the period in which DOEs may apply alternative measures of validation/verification to mandatory on-site inspections until 31 December 2020, as recorded below and further contained in paragraph 30 of the 107th CDM Executive Board meeting report.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) agreed on 23 June 2020 to, on an exceptional basis, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, to extend the period in which CDM Designated Operational Entities (DOEs) may apply alternative measures of validation/verification to mandatory on-site inspections until 31 December 2020.

Board earlier agreed to relax mandatory site visits by DOEs for a period of three months (23 March to 23 June 2020) because of COVID-19, which is contained in para 26 of CDM EB 106 report.

See immediately below, the previous announcement of the Board's decision, taken on 20 March 2020.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CDM Executive Board agrees to relax mandatory site visits by DOEs for a period of three months (23 March to 23 June 2020) because of COVID-19

On a request by few stakeholders, the Board considered electronically the matter and decided as follows:

  • A DOE may postpone site visits for onsite inspections required by the “CDM validation and verification standard for project activities (version 02.0) (VVS-PA)” or “CDM validation and verification standard for programme of activities (version 02.0) (VVS-PoA)”, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account the rules of relevant national and local authorities (local to the DOE offices as well as to locality of the site visits), World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, policies of the DOE (if any) and other relevant travel restrictions and guidance (for example, a requirement to self-isolate upon return from specific countries).
  • If the site visits cannot be postponed, a proper justification should be provided by the DOE why the site visits cannot be postponed, including the demonstration of a significant impact of delaying the site visits on the DOE, or project participants or coordinating/ managing entity (e.g. commitment/ timeline as per the validation or verification contract, CER delivery commitment by project participants) reliance on applicable force majeure provisions in the validation or verification contracts, if needed.

  • If the site visit cannot be postponed but are not conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOE may use other standard auditing techniques for validation or verification, as referred to in sections 7.1.3 and 9.1.3 of the VVS-PA and sections 7.1.3 and 10.1.3 of the VVS-PoA. In the above regard, the Board agrees to allow for three months, from 23 March to 23 June 2020, to deviate from the requirements in paragraphs 30 and 339 of the VVS-PA and paragraphs 183 and 321 of the VVS-POA. Where the DOE relies on this temporary measure, it shall describe in the validation/ verification report the alternative means used and justify that they are credible and sufficient for the purpose of validation or verification.