New research urges accounting fixes for future climate policies

by CMWGlobal marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

New research shows that a new climate deal must be based on multi-year, not annual, emissions budgets and comprehensively revised accounting rules to ensure the environmental integrity of targets and markets. In particular the reports call for an end to so-called double-counting of emissions cuts sold through offsetting mechanisms whereby the issuing and purchasing country both count a project’s emissions savings towards their targets.

A case for pro-poor carbon projects (Watch This! #6)

by Guest ContributorSustainable developmentPosted on Comments are Disabled

Since early 2000 almost 7000 projects have sprouted on the UNFCCC registry, claiming reduction of more than 1.3 billion tonnes C02. All these projects except for a handful are corporately initiated, owned and controlled.  The carbon being traded is an icing on the profit cake of companies, thus subsidizing initiatives that should otherwise be penalized. If there is further profit to be derived from carbon trading it should make way for the poor.

Soil carbon markets undermine concerns of small and marginal farmers (Watch This #6)

by Guest ContributorGlobal marketsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Agricultural emissions have been a source of intense debates in the UNFCCC since Copenhagen COP 15. Developed countries see it as huge potential for mitigation and some aim at using agricultural emission reductions as offsets. It is also alleged that 90% of the mitigation potential lies in soil carbon sequestration and mostly in developing countries. That gives rise to a potential danger of brining soil into carbon markets.