Transcript Clean Development Mechanism

IFAD 1st CLIMTRAIN Workshop, July 2008
The UNFCCC, the Kyoto
Protocol and its mechanisms
Paul V. Desanker
Head, LDC and CB & Outreach Units,
UNFCCC Secretariat
Bonn, Germany
The UNFCCC
• Framework convention – lays out an objective,
then allows for instruments to be developed over
time, e.g. Kyoto Protocol (till 2012)
• Sets global to country commitments (mainly
funding related and national commitments e.g.
policies and measures to address climate
change)
• Country-driven multilateral process to address
climate change
• Conference of Parties (Ministerial Level – once a
year), and technical session twice a year
(Subsidiary Bodies & Ad Hoc Working Groups)
• SB 28 in June 2008; COP 14 and COP/MOP (KP) 4
in Dec 2008
Objective: Article 2
The ultimate objective of this Convention and any related legal
instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is
to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the
Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in
the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient
- to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change
- to ensure that food production is not threatened and
- to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable
manner.
The UNFCCC subsidiary bodies
AWG-LCA
Bali Action Plan
SBI
Implementation
AWG-KP
SBSTA
Knowledge and
technical basis
The Kyoto Protocol
• Entry into force on 16 February 2005
• 178 Parties (April 2008)
Main features
• Legally binding targets for emissions of six major
greenhouse gases in industrialized countries
during first commitment period
• New international market-based mechanisms,
creating a new commodity: carbon
• Facilitate sustainable development and
additional support to developing countries on
adaptation
The three Kyoto mechanisms
• Emission Trading (ET):
exchanging emission allowances among
Kyoto Protocol Parties
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM):
credits for emissions avoided through
sustainable development projects in
developing countries (non-Annex I countries)
• Joint Implementation (JI):
credits for emissions avoided through
projects in Annex I countries
The three Kyoto mechanisms –
Clean Development Mechanism
• Projects in developing countries can earn
saleable credits for reducing/avoiding emissions –
certified emission reductions (CERs)
• The CERs can be used by countries with
commitments under KP toward meeting a part of
their targets
• Host countries benefit from sustainable
development initiatives