Calibrated bags to measure gas leakage (Newsletter #4)

The Board will decide upon revised methodology AM0023 concerning leak reduction from natural gas pipeline compressor or gate stations. The revision would expand the permitted techniques to measure the flow of gas leaks in natural gas transmission and distribution systems to two more techniques: (i)             the calibrated bags technique (ii)            the ultrasonic flow meters technique. …

Additionality testing differentiating between multinationals and local SMEs (Newsletter #4)

The EB will again tackle the assessment of additionality at its next meeting and will in particular discuss draft guidelines for objective demonstration and assessment of barriers. A barrier analysis requires demonstrating that barriers exist that would prevent the proposed project from being carried out if the project activity was not registered as a CDM …

Pressure by DOEs to limit their liability (Newsletter #4)

During the next meeting, the Board will consider the “concept of materiality”, which would limit the liability of DOEs for errors in checking data in PDDs and accompanying documents. In theory, DOEs are held responsible for any CER which may be inappropriately issued. In such cases, DOEs have to replace a corresponding amount of “valid” …

Subsidies for monoculture tree plantations (Newsletter #4)

Currently, any plantation established on land that was forested after 1 January 1990 is excluded from the CDM. But the CDM EB is now considering a new possibility to include lands with “forests in exhaustion” as A/R CDM project activities. The results will be presented in December 2009 at COP-15 in Copenhagen. The term forests …

Bhilangana III Hydro Power Project: how 24 MW destroy 14 villages

The 24 MW Bhilangana – III Hydro Power Project is currently being established at the Bhilangana river, the tributaries of Bhagirathi River in the Tehri District in the State of Uttarakhand and has applied for CDM in January 2008. Further to some alarming hints by NGOs in Delhi, we visited the dam area. The findings …

Implications of the possible inclusion of CCS as CDM project activities (Newsletter #3)

The inclusion of Carbon Capture and Storage in geological formations (CCS) in the CDM is currently being discussed in the framework of the UNFCCC. In preparation for the 5th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP5) to take place in Copenhagen, in December 2009, the Board was requested to assess the implications of …

Harmful and non-additional projects under consideration at this meeting (Newsletter #3)

Currently there are 31 projects under review at the CDM Executive Board. During this meeting the members will decide upon the registration or rejection of these projects. Another 41 projects will be discussed for which request of review has been submitted by eitherone of the parties involved and/or three Executive Board members. Action to be …