Natural Gas Projects should be rejected (Newsletter #11)

Another large natural gas power project[1] in China (capacity: 1170MW) has applied for eligibility as a CDM project. However, it is currently under review because its additionality and baseline claims are highly questionable: The project seems to have been planned well before the project developers decided to turn it into a CDM project. Furthermore the …

Transparency for DOE performance on the horizon (Newsletter #11)

At the last CDM Executive Board (EB) meeting in October 2010, the EB discussed a proposal to make CDM auditors (DOEs) which originally approved the project liable for excess carbon offsets from approved projects[1]. The EB did not make a final decision on the issue of liability but did make several important recommendations for reform …

Sneak Preview: New Study on Grid Emission Factors (Newsletter #11)

At the next meeting, the EB will consider new rules that would require CDM host countries to hire a CDM auditor (DOE) to validate their default grid emissions factors. CDM Watch welcomes such rules for the following reasons: Currently CDM projects that replace grid electricity (e.g. a wind farm or a hydro dam) can use …

Mistaken issuance of HFC-23 credits: Human Error should be Corrected (Newsletter #11)

Despite the current ban on HFC credit issuance, more than 800,000 CERs were issued to an HFC-23 abatement project in India on 12 November. The EB suspended issuance of HFC-23 credits in August 2010 and made public assurances that the suspension would remain in place until the Board had discussed the Methodology Panel’s conclusions (see …

EU Action on CDM (Newsletter #11)

Alarm about the environmental integrity of industrial gas abatement projects under the CDM has reached the highest political level in Europe. In response to mounting concern about HFC-23 and N2O projects, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, announced in August 2010 that the European Commission would draft a proposal on quality restrictions on the …

Renewal of Ineos HFC-23 destruction project (Newsletter #11)

At the meeting the CDM Executive Board (EB) will also decide whether or not to allow the renewal of the crediting period of the first HFC-23 Decomposition Project (Project 003) ever registered. The project is located in Ulsan, South Korea and operated by the Ineos Group. The project has generated 1,4 Mio credits over its …

D-Day for HFC-23 Projects (Newsletter #11)

At this week’s meeting, the CDM Executive Board (EB) will discuss the results of the investigation undertaken by the Methodology Panel over the past few months. The EB will likely make decisions on how to address the fundamental flaws in the current crediting methodology for HFC-23 projects. The Board will also decide whether to maintain …

CDM Watch Newsletter #11, November 2010

Dear friends,

Ahead of COP-16 which begins on 29 November, the CDM Executive Board is holding its 58th meeting from 22-26 November 2010 in Cancún. As usual, CDM Watch has taken the opportunity to read between the lines of the annotated draft agenda (PDF) in order to bring some transparency to the decisions of the Executive Board.