News & Press
Press Release: UN Body decision marks end for dirty carbon credits from coal power in the EU emissions trading scheme
Washington D.C., Brussels, 23 July 2012. The United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board has taken a significant step towards a major victory against propping up the dirty, carbon intensive coal industry. In a meeting last week, the CDM Executive Board requested yet another round of scrutiny of the set of rules that would allow coal power plants in India and China to receive carbon credits.
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Press Release: New rules for coal offsetting projects still severely flawed
Bonn, Germany, 7 May. The UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board will discuss this week whether to approve revised rules on coal power offsetting projects. NGOs are urging the Board to reject the revision because they do not address crucial technical flaws. The revisions also fail to address the severe harm new coal projects…
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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: 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: Pressure mounts for COP President to exclude coal power projects from UN offsetting scheme
Durban, South Africa. As countries are negotiating the global climate crisis, an open letter sent by a broad coalition of green groups including Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth to the COP Presidency today calls for an exclusion of coal power projects from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Groups claim such projects undermine the integrity of the CDM and the already weak climate targets.
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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: Pressure on EU mounts as UNFCCC suspends flawed rules for coal offsetting projects
Durban, South Africa. In a crucial move, the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board yesterday suspended coal power offsetting projects because the rules used to calculate emission reductions cause artificial carbon credits. Pressure on the EU is mounting to call for a ban of these projects at the climate change conference starting next week in Durban.
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Press Release: New UNFCCC report confirms coal power offset projects will generate millions of artificial carbon credits
Brussels. A report published today by the UNFCCC’s expert panel shows that coal power plants that receive climate finance through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) may receive millions of artificial carbon credits under current rules.
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