In Focus

International agencies leverage strengths of the CDM

Bonn, 16 March 2015 – High level representatives of international and regional agencies in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean met here last week to find ways to further leverage the strengths of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The 14 agencies, all partners hosting or working with CDM Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs), attended the RCC Roundtable on Collaborative Mitigation Initiatives and the 2nd RCC Global Forum.

Since the beginning of 2013, RCCs have been set up in Lomé, Togo; Kampala, Uganda; St. George's, Grenada; and Bogotá, Colombia. A fifth, planned for Asia, is expected to open later this year. They support the effective implementation of CDM activities on the ground and provide local support to CDM stakeholders, including institutional support to governments through capacity-building.

The CDM has led to registration of some 7875 projects and programmes in 107 developing countries, more than 1.5 billion certified emission reductions, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, and mobilization of many billions of dollars’ worth of investment. Crucially, the CDM has leveraged, and can continue to leverage, private sector investment 10 times the public funds allocated.

The organizations that took part in the meetings on 12-13 March are eager to leverage the CDM’s strengths in spurring investment and action on the ground for mitigation and sustainable development. They can do that in part through joint efforts to provide capacity-building and direct support to projects.

The organizations and agencies that took part:
• West African Development Bank, BOAD
• Development Bank of Latin America, CAF
• East African Development Bank, EADB
• Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation, St. George’s University, Grenada
• United Nations Environment Programme
• World Bank
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• UNEP DTU partnership
• Federal Ministry for the Environment, Germany
• Swedish Energy Agency
• International Renewable Energy Agency
• Belgium government
• German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), Germany

For more information please contact David Abbass, Public Information Officer, UNFCCC, dabbass(at)unfccc.int