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Focus Areas : Clean Development Mechanism/Joint Implementation

The Kyoto Protocol established mechanisms that allowed the transfer of emissions reductions internationally through the creation of project offsets under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). Since their enactment in 2003, these “flexible mechanisms” have generated about 4.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions in developed and developing countries across dozens of sectors.

The success of CDM and JI in achieving cost-effective GHG mitigation and sustainable development places them high on the agenda of climate policy makers. They attract financing for sustainable development initiatives in developing countries (CDM) and Central and Eastern Europe (JI), while governments or private firms in industrialised countries use credits to offset emissions and achieve their commitments under the Protocol.

Climate Focus provides project developers policy makers and investors with insight and experience from active participation in the CDM and JI credit markets since their inceptions more than a decade ago. We offer project developers guidance on project development, due diligence assessment, risk analysis CDM and JI project portfolios, MRV standards and methodology development backed by years of project advisory experience. For governments and policy-oriented groups, Climate Focus offers insight into current and emerging policy developments through our participation in CDM and JI policy development, and publication of legal and policy guidance or position papers. Climate Focus also has experience in novel areas such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and the developments for standards for offset credits accepted under the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS).

Examples of activities and projects

• Development of dozens of CDM and JI projects in the energy, waste, industry and land-use sector; project and investment due diligences, and the development of measurement and verification protocols
• Establishment and management of the secretariat of the Joint Implementation Action Group, a group of JI project developers that actively promote thinking on improving the existing JI framework and preparing the mechanism for its continuation in a post-2012 framework (www.jiactiongroup.com)
• Organization of a Roundtable on Article 24a of the EU ETS Directive in cooperation with the Government of Belgium and Caisse des Dépôts
• Several submissions on the JI Supervisory Committee and the CDM Executive Board, among others on Program of Activities, an Appellate Body for the CDM, and MRV standards for JI.
• Analysis of opportunities under new trading mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol (sectoral, NAMAs and PoAs) in the Chinese building sector.