Bonn (Germany), Nairobi
(Kenya) and Roskilde (Denmark), 5 September
2007 - The United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat and
the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) announced today the launch of the
CDM Bazaar , a web portal designed to facilitate
exchange of information among buyers, sellers
and service providers engaged in the Kyoto
Protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM).
Under the CDM, projects that reduce greenhouse
gas emissions in developing countries and
contribute to sustainable development can
earn certified emission reduction (CER)
credits. Countries with a commitment under
the Kyoto Protocol buy CERs to cover a portion
of their emission reduction commitments
under the Protocol.
"The CDM has seen exponential growth
in number of projects, with strong interest
in developing countries for projects and
in developed countries for CERs. The CDM
Bazaar will do just what its name suggests
? help buyers and sellers, and all those
that serve the market, get down to business,"
said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of
the UNFCCC in Bonn.
The CDM Bazaar was designed by the carbon
finance team at the UNEP RISOE Centre in
Denmark in cooperation with the UNFCCC secretariat.
The website allows stakeholders in the CDM
to post information, such as potential emission
reduction projects looking for financing,
CERs available for sale, buyers looking
for carbon credits to purchase, services
available, carbon market related events,
and employment opportunities.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General
and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The
CDM is playing an important role in meeting
the climate change challenge. However, if
the benefits are to be more widely shared,
especially in areas such as sub-Saharan
Africa, more efforts need to be put into
building developing-country capacity. The
CDM Bazaar is therefore a very welcome new
networking initiative with the potential
to complement and perhaps broaden the impacts
of the physical carbon fairs and Expos now
emerging in parts of the world."
By posting on the CDM Bazaar the CERs they
have for sale, developing-country CDM project
proponents can expect competitive offers
from carbon credit buyers. The website is
not, however, meant to be a trading platform
for CERs, but rather an information exchange
platform designed to create opportunities
for CER buyers and sellers and CDM service
providers.
About the UNFCCC
With 191 Parties, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has
near universal membership. It is the parent
treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which
has to date 175 member Parties. Under the
Protocol, 36 States, consisting of highly
industrialized countries and countries undergoing
transition to a market economy, have legally
binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limitation
and reduction commitments, while developing
countries have non-binding obligations to
limit emissions. The ultimate objective
of both treaties is to stabilize GHG concentrations
in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent
dangerous human interference with the climate
system.
About UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) has been the voice for the environment
in the UN system since 1972. It is an advocate,
educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting
the wise use of the planet's natural assets
for sustainable development. It also plays
a key role in a broad range of activities
and awareness campaigns related to climate
change, with many partners including national
governments, youth organizations, business,
industry and the media. UNEP's capacity-building
activities related to CDM include regional
awareness and information programmes in
Africa and Asia.
Daniele Violetti, Team Leader, Registration
and Issuance, Clean Development Mechanism,
UNFCCC
Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson UNEP
Sami Kamel, Carbon Finance Coordinator,
UNEP Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and
Sustainable Development
