Causes Integrity of the Clean Development Mechanism

Maria da Graça Carvalho assisted to the debate Integrity of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): How troubling project types undermine European climate goals that took place in the European Parliament, which was organized by CDM Watch and Sandbag.

The focus of the discussion was wether contentius project tipes in the CDM undermine European climate goals.

The European Union can achieve half of its greenhouse gas emission reductions by using international offset credits from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

To increase the quality of these CDM offsets and to promote sustainable development, the EU banned the use of offsets from controversial industrial gas projects and limited the eligibility of new offset projects registered as of 2012 to projects from Least Developed Countries.

The European Commission is currently evaluating whether a reform of the CDM is needed and whether further EU quality restrictions for CDM credits are necessary. Many industry associations insist on the need for cheap credits. However carbon market watchdog organisations CDM Watch and Sandbag believe that several types of projects continue to undermine European climate goals and that further quality restrictions are feasible without causing undue burden in European economies.

Agenda

• 13:00 Introduction by Richard Seeber, MEP
• 13.20 Overview of current EU offset quality restrictions: Thomas Bernheim, European Commission
• 13.50 Troubling projects in the CDM: Coal and Large Hydro: Anja Kollmuss, CDM Watch
• 14.20 CDM/JI concerns and the EU ETS: Rob Elsworth, Sandbag
• 14.50 Conclusion by Bas Eickhout, MEP