News & Press
UN offers new marketplace for stranded carbon offsets
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.
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UN registered Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Dam temporarily suspended over non-compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment
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.
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Press statement: International organizations welcome World Bank Ombudsman´s initiative to scrutinize investment project in Bajo Aguán, Honduras
International organizations welcome the World Bank Ombudsman´s initiative to scrutinize an investment project of the International Finance Corporation due to allegations of human rights violations of peasant communities in the Lower Aguán valley, Honduras, and demand immediate halt to the project. See the international statement here. However, a similar project at the same location remains…
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Press Release: CDM High Level Panel’s recommendations do not deliver
Brussels, 10 Sept, 2012. Today the High-Level Panel for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Policy Dialogue presented its final report with recommendations on how to improve the CDM. The report fails to address some of the fundamental flaws of the CDM, in particular how to address the large oversupply of credits that do not represent…
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Press Release: Loopholes Undermine Viability of Climate Regime
Durban, South Africa. As countries are negotiating a new global climate regime, a CDM Watch paper released today calls for immediate action to close loopholes in the rules under the current climate regime. The policy brief shows that the flawed rules could easily negate the reduction pledges developed countries have made for 2020 and in the worst case, even undermine a third commitment period.
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Press Release: Call to ban CDM projects linked to human rights abuses
Brussels. This week the United Nation’s Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board will decide whether to register a controversial carbon offsetting project in Honduras linked to serious human rights abuses. The project has triggered questions on whether credits from carbon offsetting projects that violate human rights should be banned in the European carbon market.
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Press Release: Environmental Groups Call for Extension of Industrial Gas Offsets Ban
Brussels. Today, the European Commission’s draft Regulation banning the use of credits from industrial gas projects in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) post-2012 was formally approved. Environmental groups are now calling on EU Member States to extend the ban to sectors not covered by the EU ETS.
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Press Release: United Nations under Pressure to denounce Human Rights Abuses in Carbon Offsetting Scheme
Brussels.The United Nation’s Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board has so far failed to respond to human rights abuses linked to a carbon offsetting project in Honduras that is currently pending registration. Environmental and Human Rights Groups are now demanding that the project be rejected from receiving funding under the offsetting scheme.
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