UN Climate Change News, 27 September 2018 – National representatives working on the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – which has registered thousands of climate and development projects worldwide – have called for greater promotion of the mechanism to help ensure its continued use in the international response to climate change.

CDM projects earn a saleable credit for each tonne of CO2 they reduce or avoid. The incentive has led to registration of more than 8,100 projects and programmes in 111 developing countries and the issuance of almost 2 billion certified emission reductions (CERs).

CDM Designated National Authorities (DNAs) from 59 countries, who were at UN Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, for three days of meetings and a technical workshop, 19-21 September, want those numbers to grow. For that to happen in any significant measure, demand for CERs, and thus their price, must rise.

The DNAs see the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, as a new opportunity for the CDM and called on the Board that oversees the mechanism to step up promotion so the CDM can retain a place in countries’ evolving climate efforts.

“Despite low demand there is still quite some interest in the CDM and new opportunities exist for the CDM,” said Arthur Rolle, Chair of the CDM Executive Board in his remarks to DNAs. “Many think that the CDM is dead, but it is not.”

In fact, projects continue to be registered and CERs continue to be issued, just not in the numbers seen in 2008-2012 when the CDM was a key tool under the Kyoto Protocol and countries could use CERs to cover a part of their emission reduction commitments under the Protocol.

Countries have yet to ratify a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and have turned their attention to the Paris Agreement, which also allows for use of markets and mechanisms like the CDM and calls for creation of a sustainable development mechanism.

“CDM’s achievements and contribution have demonstrated its potential as a successful tool for mobilizing finance in climate action and as a driver for sustainable development,” said Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, in his remarks. “There are on-going efforts to nurture demand for CDM and CERs in the compliance and voluntary markets, and enhance its contribution to closing the pre-2020 emission gap.”

The CDM Executive Board this month released an online report on the achievements of the CDM. The DNAs in Bonn urged the Board to make those achievements better known, as a matter of urgency, with a view to having the mechanism continue beyond the Protocol’s second commitment period, due to end in 2020.

The Global DNA Forum meeting is convened annually, with participation of DNAs from around the world supporting the CDM at the national level, to build capacity, share information, and discuss how to further support climate action through the CDM.

The Global DNA Forum elected Mr. Albert Magalang (Philippines) and Mr. David Hynes (UK) as global Co-Chairs for 2019, replacing Ms. Maia Tskhvaradze (Georgia) and Ms. Lorna Ritchie (UK), respectively. Mr. Magalang is Head, Climate Change Office, Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines. Mr. Hynes is a policy advisor at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK.

The Forum elected regional Co-Chairs for 2019, as follows:

• African Group, Co-Chair, Mr. Hans Djamba (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Ms. Nagla Jebroy (Sudan) as alternate.
• Asia-Pacific, Co-Chair, Mr. Albert Magalang (Phillipines) and Ms. Dilruba Akter (Bangladesh) as alternate.
• Latin America and the Caribbean, Co-Chair, Mr. Federico Grullon De La Cruz (Dominican Republic) and Ms. Ximena Figueroa (Colombia) as alternate.
• Eastern Europe, Co-Chair, Mr. Mykhailo Chyzhenko (Ukraine) and Mr. Jeyhun Hasanov (Azerbaijan) as alternate.
• Western Europe, Co-Chair, Mr. David Hynes (United Kingdom) (no alternate).

The agenda and presentations made at the Global DNA Forum Meeting and the technical workshop are available here.

In photo, from left, Luca Brusa and Ovais Sarmad, UN Climate Change; Arthur Rolle, Chair, CDM Executive Board; Lorna Ritchie, DNA Forum Co-Chair (Global) for 2018; and Piotr Dombrowicki, Vice-Chair, CDM Executive Board.