News & Press
Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – June 2019
EU governments breach citizens’ right to information on international aviation climate policy Dear friends, As I write this at the UN Climate Change Conference, Bonn, along with the rest of Western Europe, is sweltering in the scorching heat, an uncomfortable foretaste of what an ever-warming climate has in store for us. I can only hope that…
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Carbon Market Watch Newsletter – May 2019
Voters put climate crisis firmly on EU agenda Dear friends, I am delighted to share with you a revamped Carbon Market Watch News. I hope you enjoy the new look, and easily find content that most interests you. I also look forward to receiving any feedback or suggestions! Last weekend, EU citizens turned up at the…
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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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Barro Blanco: communities flooded despite rejected agreement – NGOs ask for withdrawal of CDM’s registration
On September 17, Ngäbe people rejected an agreement between top representatives and the government, signed only a month before. In the meantime, the test filling of the reservoir resumed which has flooded affected communities. Carbon Market Watch along with 80 other local and international NGOs, have called on the Panamanian authorities to withdraw the Barro…
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Green Climate Fund urged to reject accreditation applications from HSBC and Crédit Agricole
With the aim to approve first projects before COP21 in Paris, today the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will consider the first 8 funding proposals to receive Fund’s resources. Despite the opposition from the civil society, the Fund is also considering to accredit two high profile fossil fuel funders – HSBC and Crédit Agricole, – that are aiming to channel the Fund’s resources.
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CDM Board to discuss human rights safeguards
Following numerous incidents of human rights violations related to CDM projects, the CDM Board will, for the first time, discuss options to address these concerns at its next meeting starting on 12 October. It will also discuss recommendations to overhaul the CDM’s local stakeholder consultation rules, including a requirement that projects must repeat consultations if they have not been carried out in line with national laws.
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UN body launches tender to buy carbon offsets, excludes substandard projects from eligibility
Last week, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) closed a tender to buy 350.000 carbon credits from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). According to the Invitation to Bid (ITB), offset credits must meet high quality requirements to be eligible. Quality criteria exclude coal, HFC-23 and large hydro projects that do not comply with additional quality assessments and favour projects that demonstrate improvements to the health, safety and welfare of people and especially women living near the projects.
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UN launches new platform to offer stranded CDM carbon offsets
As part of the climate week in New York, the UN launched the “Go Climate Neutral Now” initiative- 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.
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WATCH THIS! NGO Newsletter #12: Empowering youth to achieve low emission schools in Mexico
This articles presents efforts led in Mexico to create a youth empowerment platform to mitigate school´s Co2 emissions. The result was the creation of a NAMA for the school sector that was piloted in 4 states in Mexico and the creation of a model that allows this community to transform their environment. How can youth be…
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Uncertainty over Barro Blanco’s CDM approval
On the first of September tensions in Panama heightened when heavy machinery moved very close to the Ngöbe-Bugle Comarca to complete the highly contested Barro Blanco hydro dam, which is registered under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism. This was preceded by the forceful eviction of indigenous people camping next to the construction area by the national police. In response to a letter sent by Panamanian civil society groups, the CDM Board has now reminded Panama about its right to withdraw approval for the project, “if it deems appropriate”.
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