15 July 1998
ENGLISH ONLY
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE
Eighth session
Bonn, 2-12 June 1998
Item 8 of the provisional agenda
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Eighth session
Bonn, 2-12 June 1998
Item 8 of the provisional agenda
2.These submissions are attached and,
in accordance with the procedure for miscellaneous documents, are
reproduced in the language in which they were received and without
formal editing.(1)
Page
1. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 3
2. International Academy of the Environment (IAE) 5
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Name of Organization: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Contact person/responsible officer (address): John Cuddy, Coordinator of Sustainable
Development, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
___________________________________________________________________________
1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading (O)
The Clean Development Mechanism (P)
2. (A) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading.
general policy/strategy (O)
methodological issues and options (O)
institutional requirements and options (O)
linkages among the mechanisms (O)
capacity-building/training (O)
(B) Clean Development Mechanism
3. (A) Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Trading.
Technical studies:
Topics:
- Defining the relevant principles, modalities, rules and guidelines for verification, reporting and accountability for emissions trading (O).
- Non-compliance and enforcement issues in international greenhouse gas emissions trading (O).
- International legal framework for a plurilateral greenhouse gas emissions trading system (O).
Workshops:
a) The Policy Framework Working Group (O)
b) The Markets Design Working Group (O)
c) Meetings of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Policy Forum (O)
d) Regional workshops (P)
e) National workshops (P)
(B) The Clean Development Mechanism
Topics:
- Technical aspects of the implementation of the CDM (P)
- Financial aspects of the implementation of the CDM (P)
- Legal and institutional aspects of the implementation of the CDM (P)
Workshops:
Regional workshops for developing countries (P)
4. UNFCCC intergovernmental process.
- Study on relevant principles, modalities, rules and guidelines for verification, reporting and accountability for emissions trading.
Draft available by June 1998.
- Study on non-compliance and enforcement issues in greenhouse gas emissions trading.
Draft available by October 1998.
Non-governmental community.
- International legal framework for a plurilateral greenhouse gas emissions trading system.
Draft available in Spring 1999.
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Name of Organization: INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, 4 chemin des Conches, CH-1231 Geneva, Switzerland
Contact person/responsible officer (address): Dr. Francisco Szekely
_________________________________________________________________________________
N.B: Kindly mark for each entry whether the activities are 'ongoing' (O) or 'planned' (P).
1. Which mechanism(s) are you working on (if several, please state in order of priority)?
1. CDM / 2. Joint Implementation / 3. GHG Emissions
2. Which area of work are you engaging in? Kindly state by mechanism.
general policy/strategy XX
methodological issues and options (such as baselines, monitoring and verification, certification) XX
institutional requirements and options XX
project identification/development
mitigation
adaptation
capacity-building/training XX
potential impact and implications of mechanism(s)
linkages among the mechanisms.
3. What type of work are you carrying out? Kindly differentiate by mechanism, if applicable, and state the resources available.
Technical studies/topics XX
Workshops XX
Technical cooperation (project development, training)
Other (please specify). Publications
4. What is the use to be made of the work and when will it be delivered? Kindly state the mandate. - Delivered by October 1998
UNFCCC intergovernmental process (SB/COP) XX
Other inter-governmental process (please specify)
Non-governmental community. XX
Climate Change in the Global Economy Programme (CCGE)
International Academy of the Environment
4, chemin de Conches, 1231 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-702-1860, Fax: +41-22-702-1899 _________________________________________________________________________________
Located in Geneva, Switzerland, IAE supports high-level desionmakers to integrate sustainable development principles into the policymaking process. IAE's approach to this challenge embodies four types of activities in the field of Climate Change: policy-relevant research seeking innovative approaches to sustainable development problems; policy dialogues engaging high-level experts in discussions of critical issues; training seminars aimed at building the capacity of concerned specialists; and dissemination of information deriving from these endeavours.
CDM and JI
The theme will contribute to the development of operational elements of future CDM and JI regimes. It will examine methodologies to objectively assess the additionality of greenhouse gas emission reductions, approaches to credit sharing and supplementarity, and screening procedures to ensure that projects generate economic, environmental, and social benefits for the host country that meet or exceed agreed standards. For CDM and JI activities in the energy sector, varied approaches to designing these elements will be analysed with respect to their ability to simultaneously maximise: incentives for sponsor country investment and host country participation, global efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and international equity and burden-sharing in global mitigation activity.
Carbon Sequestration
The objectives of this theme are to provide policy-makers with information that will enable them to take well-informed decisions whether they should engage in afforestation and reforestation CDM and JI activities. This will be achieved by identifying and prioritise gaps in knowledge or researchable issues that will permit a better understanding of sustainable development implications of carbon sequestration.
Emission Trading
This theme will mainly focus on the national implications of an international emission trading system. Analyses of the links between domestic policies and measures, and an international trading system are made examining how modified existing and/or new domestic measures should be implemented for the international emission trading system to work. It also studies the involvement of the private sector in the international trading of emissions, examining the costs/benefits of directly involving the private sector in international trading, in collaboration with national governments. Finally, attention is given to defining institutional and other capacities (national/international) that will be needed to monitor and will be liable for international trading by private entities.
Carbon Taxes
This theme focuses on the implications of carbon taxes in a global economic context. In particular, the theme studies two main topics. First it evaluates the impacts of carbon/energy taxes in countries that have already implemented them, in terms of reduced emissions, competitiveness, distribution of revenues, and employment. Secondly it examines the linkages between carbon/energy taxes and other domestic instruments, e.g. voluntary agreements, as well as the linkages between carbon taxes and emissions trading system at the international level.
Voluntary Measures
Voluntary initiatives for GHG reduction constitute a policy tool based on actions usually involving public/private collaboration, for the purpose of climate change mitigation. They are generally seen as complementary to regulatory and economic mechanisms, rather than as alternatives to such policy measures; the perceived advantage of voluntary initiatives lies in their cost-effectiveness and flexibility. The objective of this theme is to discover how voluntary industry initiatives can serve as a viable policy tool for GHG reduction. By examining in what proportion with other policy tools (regulation, economic mechanisms) they can be used, and in what socio-economic context, i.e. are certain cultures, industries more conducive to their use, the theme will show how voluntary measures can be a sustainable policy tool.
Non-fuel Society
This theme considers a compromise sustainable development scenario where economic development is based on competitive and equitable energy supply, and needs are met through technologies and production systems requiring both lower energy input and higher utilisation of renewable resources. By exploring the interfaces between scientific knowledge/technology, policies and consensus, from the renewable energy perspective, with solar energy as initial focus, the theme will determine under which circumstances can the contribution of renewables be increased and, consequently, emissions limited.