This report covers the work undertaken by the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism (CDM) from 18 September 2016 to 22 September 2017. Work focused on simplifying the mechanism and promoting its use in the international response to climate change, including through new applications in support of climate finance. The period saw a slight increase in project registrations and a 36 per cent increase in issuance of certified emission reductions (CERs) compared with 2016. Despite these increases, demand for the CDM and its CERs remains low compared with demand in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which ended in 2012. This report includes a request for guidance from, and a recommendation for action by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol at its thirteenth session. Also included is an encouragement related to Article 6, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement.