For many stakeholders working on climate mitigation, the emerging concept of NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) remains an enigma. Carbon Market Watch’s upcoming webinar “What are NAMAs and how can civil society organisations benefit from them?” aims to open the door to the many unanswered questions on how NAMAs work and what is the role of public participation in order to empower civil society to contribute and gain from the process.
The webinar is aimed at civil society organizations who want to learn about NAMAs and/or get involved in the process of NAMA development. Its purpose will be to build understanding of the functioning of NAMAs and the significance of public participation for accountability of NAMA actions. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the cases of NAMAs on the ground and how the involvement of civil society can build their capacity and lead to wide range of co-benefits.
Dear members of the European Parliament,
On behalf of the Chair of the CDM Executive Board, I would like to thank you for your communication of 20 May 2015, informing us of your serious concern about project 9713: Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant. Your letter was made available to the CDM Executive Board (the Board).
I hereby inform you that project 9713” Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant” was registered by the Board on 2 June 2014 after undergoing a review process at the request of Board members. The issues you raise in your letter were looked at during the course of this review and it was found that the proposed project activity had complied with the requirements of the CDM, including the local stakeholder consultation process. Further, the designated national authority (DNA) of Guatemala issued required letter of approval (dated 2 July 2012) confirming that the project will assist Guatemala in its efforts to achieve sustainable development. The DNA had also confirmed to the Board, in the course of the review of the project activity, that the local stakeholder consultation process was carried-out appropriately.
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) are a mitigation instrument for developing countries to take part in global efforts towards a long-term sustainable strategy for cutting emissions.
NAMAs exhibit a great potential as they move away from traditional offsetting and focus on developing countries’ own contribution to global mitigation and sustainable development. They provide a good opportunity for sector-wide and sub-sector policy based emission reductions. Despite their potentially high prospects to deliver mitigation and sustainability benefits, only 11 NAMAs are currently being implemented and 140 NAMAs are still at the design phase.
A leaked European Commission document suggests that pollution subsidies to industry under the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme will increase to around €150 billion after 2020. The subsidy is under consideration because some industry sectors claim that the EU’s carbon market puts them at a competitive disadvantage, when in fact carbon pricing has been successfully introduced in many other regions as well. The proposal to shield industry from Europe’s main climate instrument sends the wrong signal ahead of the climate summit in Paris in December where countries are expected to sign a global climate agreement applying to all sectors and regions.
Currently, parties to the UNFCCC are meeting in Bonn for a new round of climate negotiations. One of the topics that is on the table is the review of the Modalities and Procedures of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Parties are thereby discussing rather “light” issues and shy away from more conflicting topics. But, when turning a blind eye on the necessity for more controversial themes, such as the establishment of a grievance mechanism, the review of the Modalities and Procedures may fall behind its great potential to improve the CDM for the future.
With another round of UN climate talks underway in Bonn, uncertainty remains over the role that carbon markets will play in the Paris Protocol and accompanying decisions.
The need for safeguards and accountability mechanisms is widely recognised in international financial institutions (IFIs). This event will discuss how lessons from IFIs can inform the design and operation of appropriate redress mechanisms for the GCF and other private and public climate finance flows.
In June in Bonn, the UNFCCC will convene its first session to begin real negotiations on the text agreed in Geneva in February. Those elements of the text that are agreed by Parties will become parts of the Paris Protocol, which should be completed in December this year.
