News & Press
Press release: Call for UN carbon credit mechanism to reject Guatemalan project following allegations of murder and intimidation
Guatemala City -Brussels – In a meeting starting today, the Executive Board of the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) will decide on whether to approve the Santa Rita Hydroelectric plant in Guatemala. The Peoples´Council of Tezulutlán and Carbon Market Watch call on the Board to reject this project because essential community consultation rules have been violated, tragically resulting in the alleged murders and intimidation of the affected community.
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Press Release: CDM Executive Board rejects Bonyic Hydroelectric Project in light of alleged violations of CDM requirements and human rights standards
Warsaw, Panama City – Last week, the Clean Development Mechanism’s Executive Board rejected the request for registration of the Bonyic Hydroelectric Project in the Naso indigenous territory in Panama. This decision demonstrates that the Board has the authority to exclude projects that fail to meet CDM requirements, including rules on local stakeholder consultation.
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Press Release: Brazilian judge ruling puts government under pressure to withdraw Teles Pires hydro dam from UN offsetting scheme
Brasilia, Brussels – Last week, a federal judge in Brazil ruled the controversial Teles Pires Dam’s installation license invalid due to breaches of domestic legislation and international agreements on consultations with indigenous peoples.
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Press Release: CDM Reality Check – CDM Watch launched Online Discussion Forum
Brussels, 23 March 2012. The watchdog organisation CDM Watch launched a discussion forum to enable the general public to participate in the CDM reform dialogue.
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Press Release: UN’s offsetting project Barro Blanco hampers Panama peace-talks
Brussels / Panama City. The heavily contested hydro power project Barro Blanco, approved under the UN offsetting scheme, continues to impede ongoing peace talks between the Panamanian government and the indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé people over a law banning mining and hydroelectric projects in indigenous territories.
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Press Release: New Study Adds Urgency to Reform UN Offsetting Scheme in Durban
Durban. A study released today confirms that over 20% of all carbon credits under the UN’s offsetting scheme could come from business-as-usual large hydro projects. The study also points out the significant social and environmental impacts of these projects and calls for an overhaul of the project evaluation process. Civil society groups call on Environment Ministers to address shortcomings at the upcoming climate change negotiations in Durban.
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Press Release: UN Board Approves Two Controversial Coal and Hydro Projects in India
Brussels. The CDM Executive Board approved two controversial Indian mega projects: a new coal fired power plant and a hydro power plant which had recently made headlines because of its non-additionality and the harm reportedly caused to the local population.
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Press Release: EU action required as UN Panel keeps flawed rules of carbon offsetting scheme in place
Brussels/Washington. The UN´s CDM Executive Board has once again failed to address flawed rules of controversial coal and HFC-23 projects. Environmental groups are now calling on the European Union to ban carbon credits from coal projects in the EU´s Emissions Trading Scheme. The groups also call for additional safeguards to exclude credits from projects linked to human rights abuses.
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Press Release: Controversial coal projects continue to be registered despite serious concerns over the methodology to be reviewed by CDM Executive Board
Washington D.C. As an United Nations panel of technical experts prepares to deliberate on the suspension of coal projects that, if approved, could lead to hundreds of millions of artificial carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM), the CDM Executive Board registers another contested “Ultra Mega” coal project.
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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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