23 November 2012: At its 70th meeting, held from 19-23 November 2012, in Doha, Qatar, the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approved a tool that project participants can utilize to describe the sustainable development co-benefits of their CDM projects.

In order to be registered, a CDM project must produce real emission reductions and it must assist the host country in achieving its sustainable development goals. Host countries are responsible for providing a letter of approval attesting to the latter requirement. The new tool provides a means for project participants to voluntarily describe the co-benefits of their projects against criteria.

The meeting also provisionally approved the Board’s business and management plan for 2013-2014, which focuses on: providing simplicity and predictability in CDM operations; ensuring integrity of certified emission reductions (CERs); ensuring the CDM contributes to the sustainable development of all host countries; further expanding the CDM’s geographic reach; and promoting the use and safeguarding the reputation of the CDM as a mechanism for low-carbon development. The Board further agreed on a 5% budget reduction, taking into account recent decline in CER prices and current uncertainty in the level and timing of future demand for credits.

The Board’s 70th meeting concluded days before the start of the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha. The Board supervises the Kyoto Protocol’s CDM under the authority and guidance of the Conference of the Parties (COP) serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. [UNFCCC Press Release][Meeting Website][Report of the Meeting]