News & Press
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.
Read more →
UN approved hydroelectric dam Barro Blanco suspended over community rights violations
Following community protests by the indigenous Ngobe communities, Panama’s environment agency ANAM supended the Barro Blanco hydroelectric yesterday. The decision was taken because of breaches of the national environmental impact assessment requirements, including shortcomings in the agreement with the locally affected indigenous communities.
Read more →
Carbon offsetting projects challenged over their sustainability impacts
In Lima, Carbon Market Watch together with local Indian launched the ‘CDM Benefit Tracker India’, an interactive map that compares the sustainable development objectives outlined in CDM project application documents with eye witness accounts from local communities. Project owners have now been invited to comment on the results that find severe discrepancies between claims and local realities.
Read more →
Press Advisory: Carbon Offsetting Benefit Tracker launched to showcase local reality of CDM projects
Brussels/Lima 8 December 2014, today the ‘CDM Benefit Tracker India’ will be launched in Lima, Peru. The Tracker compares eye witness accounts of local communities with sustainability objectives of CDM projects and finds severe discrepancies between claims and local realities. Local groups are now calling on countries in Lima to establish monitoring and verification provisions…
Read more →
International human rights day adds pressure to implement safeguards in carbon markets
At the occasion of the international human rights day on 10 December 2014, the need to protect human rights in all climate actions will be high up on the agenda in Lima. The clock is ticking for delegates to put in place a robust institutional safeguards system for existing and new carbon markets to protect the people most vulnerable to climate change.
Read more →
Pressemitteilung: Zivilgesellschaft fordert den UN Sonderberichterstatter für die Rechte Indigener Völker auf, ein UN Project zum CO2-Offset zu untersuchen
28. Oktober 2014, Brüssels, Guatemala City, Berlin. In diesem Monat haben zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen aus Guatemala unterstützt von Internationalen Partnern den UN Sonderberichterstatter für die Rechte Indigener Völker gebeten, die indigenen Gemeinschaften zu unterstützen, die durch das Santa Rita Wasserkraftwerk direkt bedroht sind. Damm und Kraftwerk in Guatemala sind im Juni 2014 im CO2-Offset Programm der…
Read more →
Comunicado de Prensa: Organizaciones de la sociedad civil llaman a la Relatora Especial de la ONU sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas a investigar un proyecto de compensación de carbono
28 de octubre 2014, Bruselas, Ciudad de Guatemala. Este mes, organizaciones de la sociedad civil de Guatemala e internacionales han pedido apoyo a la Relatora Especial de la ONU sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas para comunidades indígenas que viven bajo amenazas fuertes e inmediatas por parte de la represa hidroeléctrica Santa Rita en…
Read more →
Press Release: Civil society groups call on UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to investigate UN offset project
28 October 2014, Brussels, Guatemala City. This month, Guatemalan and international civil society organisations have asked UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to support indigenous communities threatened with imminent and serious harm by the Santa Rita hydroelectric dam in Guatemala which was registered under the UN’s carbon offsetting scheme in June 2014….
Read more →
Deadly protests against Guatemala hydro dam leave questions over UN Board’s project approval
In June, the UN Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approved the contentious hydroelectric project Santa Ritadespite serious concerns over human rights violations. On 15 August 2014, a repressive security operation against the Q’eqchies communities of Cobán, Chisec and Raxruha by more than 1500 national police officers led to the forceful eviction of some 160 families resulting in three deaths, 50 injured, and a negative mark on the mechanism’s future. Carbon Market Watch is now calling for a formal investigation of the repressive actions and for the CDM’s Board to implement a grievance mechanism for affected communities.
Read more →
Campaign Focus: CDM needs to catch up with social standards already in place for other mechanisms
A new chance to address the shortcomings of the CDM to implement robust public participation rules was born last year at the climate change conference in Warsaw where Parties requested the UNFCCC secretariat to collect information on practices for local stakeholder consultation and providetechnical assistance for the development of guidelines upon the request of countries. In June, at a recent Africa Regional Workshop in Windhoek Namibia, Designated National Authorities (DNAs) discussed how improvements to the role of local stakeholder consultations could be made and how to sustainable development impacts of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects can be monitored. Carbon Market Watch participated at this two day capacity building workshop and highlighted that best practice guidance on how to implement existing rules is still needed.
Read more →
Carbon pricing 
International transport 
Climate governance 
Fair climate action