News & Press
COP24 overshadowed by market failure as countries fail to agree on basic accounting principles and the future of the CDM
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…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 24 Jul 2018
Green finance must be people-friendly
Today, civil society organisations have sent out a letter to leaders of the European Commission to call on them to adopt financial investment rules which will benefit both the people and the environment. The letter is part of a wider effort from civil society to make sure that “sustainable” finance does not end up harming people…
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By Guest: Soumya Dutta on 12 Jun 2018
Sham consultations, ruthless exploitation: CDM project experience in India
Guest article by Soumya Dutta, Beyond Copenhagen collective, India India hosts a big share of climate mitigation projects under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Many of these projects have blatantly violated the rights of affected communities and stakeholder consultations are carried out rarely if ever, writes Soumya Dutta. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was…
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By Gilles Dufrasne on 24 May 2018
Learning from Barro Blanco: how to improve public participation in climate projects
As negotiations on the Paris Agreement rules approach the finish line, it will be important to ensure that future climate mitigation projects respect human rights and the environment. Ever since flood waters started to rise at the Barro Blanco hydro dam site on the Tabasará river in Panama, destroying agricultural lands, cultural sites, and numerous…
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By Eva Filzmoser | Pierre-Jean Brasier on 30 Nov 2017
Closing a (violent) chapter: Santa Rita hydro dam project officially cancelled
In October, the private sector lending arm of the World Bank Group (International Finance Corporation, IFC) confirmed the cancellation of a controversial Santa Rita hydroelectric project in Guatemala, approved under the UN’s carbon offsetting scheme Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The announcement follows a report by the IFC Ombudsman which found serious failings in the project…
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By Pierre-Jean Brasier on 25 Oct 2017
WATCH THIS! NGO Voices on Climate Finance & Carbon Markets #20 – October 2017
Editorial Dear partners, dear friends, Welcome to the 20th edition of our Watch This! Newsletter. In this edition, we introduce two of Carbon Market Watch’s new working topics: international shipping emissions and carbon pricing. On both issues, the involvement of the network will be key, as a vital counterweight to the interests of emitting industries….
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By Juliane Voigt on 16 Dec 2016
Still no closure for UN offsetting scheme review
At the COP 22 climate conference in Marrakesh, countries continued debating the review of the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which will serve as a model for the newly established Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM). Parties generally shied away from controversial topics, such as demands to establish a grievance mechanism. In order for the CDM review…
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In landmark decision, Panama withdraws UN registration for Barro Blanco hydrodam project
Marrakech, Morocco; Panama City, Panama – 10 November 2016: Last week, Panama withdrew its registration of the controversial Barro Blanco hydro dam project on grounds of stakeholder violation, a precedent under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). While this decision is a step in the right direction for climate action, lessons need to be learned…
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Carbon Market Watch at COP22 in Marrakech
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…
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By Juliane Voigt, Aki Kachi on 23 Sep 2016
Carbon markets in the Paris Agreement: what’s next on the negotiation agenda?
The Paris COP made strong provisions for markets and, non-market approaches. Next on the agenda is figuring out how these pieces work and fit together, what role they may play in a 1.5C scenario, how to improve and phase out the Kyoto Protocol’s measures (the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI)), and how…
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