Dear friends,
The CDM Executive Board will have its 67th meeting just before the 14-25 May UN climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany. In this newsletter we give an overview of the relevant carbon market issues that are on the agenda in Bonn. Of course our team will be there to join fellow ENGOs to advocate for environmental and social integrity.
At the next Board meeting, discussions on the new revised rules for CDM coal power projects will be in the spotlight. We are asking the Board to reject the current proposal because it does not address the inherent problems of this project type.
The Board will also discuss what type of voluntary guidelines should be developed for sustainability benefits. Guidelines must be strengthened both for co-benefits in general and for public participation rules in particular. Many options have been brought forward to do so, now is the time for action! The guest article from India reports back from a CDM Watch workshop and describes how civil society in host countries is fighting for fairer and more meaningful participation. To contribute to the public dialogue on the CDM reform and to encourage frank communication between all stakeholders, CDM Watch launched an online discussion forum. Things are already heating up: one project developer has posted a detailed and provocative statement on the problems in the CDM. We invite everybody to post their views and engage in discussion. CDM Watch will also hold a side event in Bonn to facilitate dialogue between policy makers and civil society, draw attention to urgent concerns about the CDM and encourage change where needed.
Last but not least, we discuss the troubles of CDM’s little brother, Joint Implementation (JI). The lack of oversight and quality assurance, especially for Track 1 JI projects which can be approved by host governments themselves, is extremely problematic. The weaker a country’s emissions pledge is, the higher the incentive to have little or no environmental integrity for the JI projects it hosts. We explain why this is and point out why JI should serve as a cautionary tale. The JI story will dampen enthusiasm for market mechanisms that have little or no international oversight. This is why in Bonn we will fight for strong rules both for the new market mechanism and the framework under which a regional system would be coordinated.
Happy reading! The CDM Watch Team
Table of Content
1. Coal in the CDM – the Saga Continues
2. Joint Implementation – Why We Are Worried
3. Preview of the Climate Negotiations in Bonn
4. Side-Event in Bonn: CDM Policy Dialogue Panel meets Civil Society
5. Civil Society Workshop on CDM and Carbon Markets
6. CDM Watch Discussion Forum Takes Off
7. CDM Watch at work
