In Focus

Official sign unveiling marks continued collaboration on climate action between UNFCCC and WINDREF

St. George’s, Grenada – 31 March 2016 saw the official unveiling of the new UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) St. George’s sign at St. George’s University in Grenada, marking the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UNFCCC and partner organization Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF).

At the unveiling, Hugh Sealy, former Chair of the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), said the occasion is one for celebration and recognition of the continuing support RCC St. George’s provides to the region through training, advising and networking, all in kind collaboration with UNFCCC partners.

The RCC is based in-house at the Department of Public Health and Preventative Medicine on the university campus and the sign will help to raise awareness of the centre among faculty members and students.

RCC St. George’s was established in 2013 to enhance capacity-building and provide hands-on support to governments non-governmental organizations and businesses interested in developing CDM projects in the Caribbean region.

“The CDM has a lot to offer in support of greenhouse gas emission reduction and sustainable development,” said UNFCCC Team Lead Maria Laura Vinuela based at RCC St. George’s. “We’re here to help ensure that the countries in the Caribbean region benefit from this mechanism to the extent possible.” 

There are now five regional collaboration centres: in Bangkok, Bogota, Kampala, Lomé and St. George’s. These centres support the identification of CDM projects, provide assistance in the design of projects, promote the development of standardized baselines at the regional level, address issues identified by CDM stakeholders, support governments in the development of their climate change policies, facilitate access to finance, and offer opportunities to use the CDM tools to develop MRV systems.

Photo: Attending the sign unveiling at Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation, St. George’s University, Grenada, were from left, Sateh Bidaisee, Nigel Edwards, Maria Laura Vinuela, Hugh Sealy, Martin Forde, Marious Loukas. 

About the CDM
The clean development mechanism (CDM) allows emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reductions (CERs), each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. CERs can also be sold to private investors in the voluntary market.  With some 8,000 registered projects and programmes in more than 105 developing countries, the CDM has proven to be a powerful mechanism to deliver finance for emission-reduction projects and contribute to sustainable development.

About WINDREF
The Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) is an independent nonprofit organization located on the True Blue campus of the St. George’s University (SGU), School of Medicine, Grenada. It seeks to advance health and environmental development through multi-disciplinary research and education programs.

See also:
cdm.unfccc.int
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