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Dear friends,

Ahead of the 6-17 June UN Climate Change Conference, which will be preceded by the 61st CDM Executive Board meeting we take the opportunity to highlight human rights issues in the CDM and also update you on other important policy developments.

This edition of the CDM Watch Newsletter gives an overview on recent developments about two CDM projects that are pending registration in Panama and Honduras that are facing criticism and local resistance. In the context of these projects, we provide our views on how human rights violations that are linked to CDM projects could be addressed on a wider policy level. We also explain how stringent public participation rules could allow for early detection of non-conformities in the CDM process. We very much welcome that these crucial topics are now on the agenda of the upcoming CDM Executive Board meeting.

At the upcoming meeting, all eyes will be on the discussions around the new revised rules for HFC-23 abatement projects. After suspending the methodology last year, the CDM Methodology Panel has presented a new methodology which will be discussed next week. Although it is a step in the right direction, we are asking the Board to reject the current proposal because it does not sufficiently safeguard the Montreal Protocol goals or adequately address the risk of ‘carbon leakage’.

Also related to the HFC-23 issue, we are urging the Board to address a clarification request submitted by CDM Watch last year which has so far been ignored by the CDM Methodology panel.

Another item in the UNFCCC´s drawers is a CDM Watch proposal for changes to the crediting methodology for coal power plants. The UNFCCC Secretariat has refused to forward this formal request to the CDM Executive Board by arguing that it is not clear whether CDM Watch is qualified to file proposals under the procedural requirements. This procedural question needs to be resolved immediately so that it can not be used as an excuse to push aside much needed methodology revisions.

Finally, on a very positive note, CDM Watch is happy to welcome Anja Kollmuss to its team. Anja´s role will be to help shape the debate about new policy instruments that enhance the integrity and mitigation potential of carbon markets.

Happy reading!

The CDM Watch Team

Table of contents

  1. Anja Kollmuss joins CDM Watch
  2. Addressing human rights violations in the CDM
  3. Panama: peaceful protests against CDM Hydropower Project stopped by police force
  4. Public participation improvements on the horizon
  5. HFC-23 saga continues
  6. Further HFC-23 Improvements omitted by Meth Panel
  7. Call for Member States to extend EU Industrial Gas Ban
  8. Flaws in CDM coal power methodology ignored by UNFCCC Secretariat

 

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