e-Serem – A Web-Based Manual For The Estimation of Emission Reductions From JI and CDM Projects

This paper presentse-SEREM (Smart Emission ReductionEstimation Manual), a cost-free, easilyaccessed and updated, web-based manual forestimating emission reductions from Joint Implementation (JI) andClean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. e-SEREM's main functions arethe selection of a benchmark for a specificproject type in the power or heat sectorand the calculation of the annual andcumulative emission reductions accrued bythis project for its crediting lifetime.e-SEREM was developed in order to test itsapplicability and practicality in assistingproject developers and evaluators toelaborate baselines easily and calculatethe emission credits earned by candidate JIor CDM projects hosted in several countries.     

The clean development mechanism—catalyst for wide spread deployment of renewable energy technologies? or misnomer?

The (usually not professed) truth is that we are not destroying the planet due to lack of technology, but due to lack of application of technology. Indeed, opportunities exist for renewable energy technologies’ diffusion under the new climate change regime as they contribute to global sustainability through GHG mitigation and, they conform to national priorities by leading to the enhancement of local economic activity, capacities and infrastructure. The clean development mechanism (CDM), although is considered one of the global policy tools to contribute to sustainable development and technology transfer, has recently been criticised for its unequal distribution of projects across countries and for insufficiently being embedded in developing countries’ national energy context. In the above framework, this article presents the ENTTRANS approach, five indicative renewable energy technologies, and insights about a more effective application of CDM, which may be part of the international process striving towards sustainable development.     

Technology transfer insights for new climate regime

The purpose of technology transfer under the UNFCCC Article 4.5 is to “…promote, facilitate, and finance as appropriate the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound technologies and know how to other Parties particularly Developing Country parties to enable them to implement the provisions of the Convention.” The key challenge in this respect is that low-carbon sustainable technologies need to be adopted both by developed as well as developing countries. However, this paper focuses on the process of technology transfer to developing countries to allow them to move quickly to environmentally sound and sustainable practices, institutions and technologies. In the above framework, this paper reviews key aspects of technology transfer from a range of perspectives in the literature and discusses insights from this literature for the transfer and innovation process needed to reduce global vulnerability to climate change in the context of current international activities based on the research undertaken by the EU sponsored ENTTRANS project.     

Author Index

Authors Index

Author Index     

The Multiple Benchmark System Application to Indonesia,Russia and Panama

Joint Implementation (JI) and theClean Development Mechanism (CDM) have beenestablished under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Kyoto Protocol asproject-based instruments to mitigategreenhouse gases of the industrialisedcountries to the levels imposed by theirKyoto commitments. An outstanding issueassociated with the implementation of thesetwo flexibility mechanisms concerns thechoice of appropriate baseline forcalculating the emission reductions. Thispaper applies a computerised tool thatconstructs and compares different types ofstandardised baselines for projects inIndonesia, Panama and the RussianFederation. It evaluates the effects of theselection of different baselines to theenvironmental integrity of the two Kyotomechanisms.     

Contents Volume 9

Volume Contents

Contents Volume 9     

White certificates and domestic offset schemes: possible synergies

Next to energy efficiency, in the context of GHG reductions, additional policy mechanisms to the incumbent EU Emissions Trading scheme (EU ETS) are discussed. Such is the case of Non-ETS Domestic Offset (DO) schemes, which can reduce CO₂-eq.emissions in the non-ETS sectors and trade these as CO₂ credits on the ETS market. Taking into account that the EU’s “Linking Directive” (EC 2004) creates the conditions to use credits generated by emission reduction projects certified by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Kyoto Protocol (KP) within the EU ETS market, in this paper we employ the institutional analysis method of interactions in order to provide insight of a combined White Certificates (WhC) and DOs cheme. Special attention is paid to the parameters that seem to hamper harmonization of WhC and DO. Aim of this paper is to discuss whether smart market- based instruments, such as WhC, can be complementary to the effectiveness of mechanisms fostering energy efficiency such as DOs projects and vice versa. In this respect, the potential combined scheme is assessed (ex-ante) with the help of standard criteria that refer to the triptych energy, environment & society. Given the outcome of the study made, it is fair to say that such a DO/WhC combined scheme could be selected if the additionality concern is to minimize short term social costs of reaching a certain goal. However recent information and research conducted so far cannot yet uphold an ambition that a WhC/DO scheme of this kind could also drive technical change, keep consumer costs down and be equitable.