COP24 closed this evening in Katowice, Poland, more than 24 hours later than initially planned. Despite smooth progress at first, negotiations ended in confusion as it proved impossible to find an agreement within the article 6 negotiations, which work to set up two new carbon markets for the post-2020 period. The text presented to all…
Just after the Paris Agreement enters into force, the world will reconvene in Marrakesh to put the interpretive meat on the bones of the Paris Agreement, including on the role of carbon markets, notably Cooperative Approaches and the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) in Article 6. In elaborating the rules of Article 6, Carbon…
The Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) has faced criticism for purchasing CDM carbon credits from a tree plantation project at Kachung, Uganda. The SEA signed a 20 year (2012-2032) purchase agreement with Norwegian company Green Resources, but later suspended payments due to problems with the project. In March 2016 the SEA announced that it would not…
In February, 2015, the Panamanian government suspended construction of the Barro Blanco hydro dam after recognising the absence of agreement with affected stakeholders. One year later, the suspension has been lifted and the construction is close to completion. However, no dialogue or agreement with the affected local communities is within sight. One year ago, in…
PANAMA CITY, Panama and GENEVA, Switzerland In a landmark decision, Panama’s National Environmental Authority (ANAM) temporarily suspended the construction of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam yesterday over non-compliance with its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The dam was approved by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) despite risks of flooding to the territory of the indigenous Ngäbe Bugle communities.
Following community protests by the indigenous Ngobe communities, Panama’s environment agency ANAM supended the Barro Blanco hydroelectric yesterday. The decision was taken because of breaches of the national environmental impact assessment requirements, including shortcomings in the agreement with the locally affected indigenous communities.
In June, the UN Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approved the contentious hydroelectric project Santa Ritadespite serious concerns over human rights violations. On 15 August 2014, a repressive security operation against the Q’eqchies communities of Cobán, Chisec and Raxruha by more than 1500 national police officers led to the forceful eviction of some 160 families resulting in three deaths, 50 injured, and a negative mark on the mechanism’s future. Carbon Market Watch is now calling for a formal investigation of the repressive actions and for the CDM’s Board to implement a grievance mechanism for affected communities.
In June, members of the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board unanimously approved the Santa Rita Hydroelectric dam project #9713 despite widespread concerns that the local stakeholder consultation was not conducted correctly resulting in alleged human rights violations.
Over the past years, Carbon Market Watch together with numerous dedicated organizations in India has worked to improve the social and environmental integrity of carbon market projects in India, and exposed weaknesses where they occurred. As the number of projects has increased, challenges faced by local communities to defend their rights to land, food, and shelter have increasingly been reported across India.
The infamous CDM Barro Blanco hydro power project, registered in 2011, continues to cause unrest amongst indigenous communities in Panama. Civil society organizations filed a letter in an ongoing domestic lawsuit in a Panamanian court, after a visit by UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples who concluded that the government should have ensured adequate consultation. Despite the negative impacts on the Ngöbe communities, the CDM remains without remedies for affected people to appeal against CDM projects that violate applicable international, including international human rights laws.
Kaisa Amaral, Communications Director
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