Editorial Dear partners, colleagues, allies, On the occasion of this first 2017 Watch This Edition, we would like to consult you. The years to come will be critical to determine if carbon markets actually contribute to the fight against climate change and to the transition towards a low carbon economy. Here at Carbon Market Watch,…
Brussels, 22 September 2015. Today, at the climate week in New York, the UN launched the “Climate Credit Store”- a new online platform to purchase carbon offsets generated by its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The initiative attempts to boost demand for CDM credits on the voluntary carbon market and for the aviation sector but fails to dodge the sale of bogus carbon offsets.
Despite severely over-supplied carbon markets and lacking mitigation commitments, countries are currently developing additional carbon market schemes. At the same time, countries are contemplating what changes are needed to the underlying rules of the CDM. They are also negotiating REDD and other approaches to reduce emissions from international aviation. Throughout all these developments it is of utmost importance to take into account the lessons from the past. In order to achieve real benefits for climate and people, your voice on carbon markets will be important!
See Newsletter #1, November 2012 After an eventful three years, it is time to say farewell to CDM Watch and welcome Carbon Market Watch! From November 2012 Carbon Market Watch will continue the activities of CDM Watch and expand further to other carbon market initiatives. In the future, Carbon Market Watch will also scrutinise new…
Wind power can be a great source of renewable energy, but if put in the wrong place it can have considerable negative impacts on local livelihoods and resources. This article tells how local eco-restoration efforts were annihilated by the installation of a wind park and why this project should not be rewarded with carbon credits.
Study commissioned by the European Parliament DG for external policies (Directorate B – Policy Department) on Human Rights and Climate Change. Section 10.1.3 reports about human rights concerns regarding the acceptance of JI and CDM credits in the EU ETS with CDM project cases Barro Blanco (Panama) and Aguan (Honduras) cited as examples. The study recommends that the EU should be clear on the fact that JI/CDM credits from projects that violate or risk violating human rights may not be used within the EU ETS and that relevant criteria should be set up and imposed on investors located in MS territories. Bilateral agreement with host countries may be appropriate in this respect.
Washington D.C., Brussels, 23 July 2012. The United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board has taken a significant step towards a major victory against propping up the dirty, carbon intensive coal industry. In a meeting last week, the CDM Executive Board requested yet another round of scrutiny of the set of rules that would allow coal power plants in India and China to receive carbon credits.
The CDM Executive Board is currently developing a tool to highlight sustainable co-benefits of CDM projects and PoAs. An initially promising opportunity was unfortunately wasted when it was decided that this tool shall be voluntary, with no monitoring in place. Or in other words, useless.
The last intercessional UN climate negotiations took place in May in Bonn, Germany. The main theme of the two-week conference seemed to be “diverging views” on about every agenda item. There were diverging views about the length of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol; about the work programme of the new Durban Platform…
Bonn, Germany, 7 May. The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board will discuss this week whether to approve revised rules on coal power offsetting projects. NGOs are urging the Board to reject the revision because they do not address crucial technical flaws. The revisions also fail to address the severe harm new coal projects…
Kaisa Amaral, Communications Director
Office: +32 2 335 36 64
Mobile: +32 485 07 6890
Carbon pricing 
International transport 
Climate governance 
Fair climate action