25 October 2012: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published the annual report of the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP), covering the work of the Board from 27 October 2011 – 13 September 2012 (FCCC/KP/CMP/2012/3 (Part I)).

The Board is required to report on its activities to each session of the COP/MOP, and in this report, the Board provides information on progress made in implementing the CDM during the reporting period. The report provides an overview of the work undertaken in the reporting period and describes the state of the mechanism at the end of the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period, highlighting the number of project activities registered and certified emission reductions (CERs) issued under the mechanism. It highlights that the CDM continued to grow during the reporting period, while noting the increase in the number of CDM projects in under-represented countries.

In addition, the report identifies some challenges faced by the mechanism, including in relation to a lack of demand for CERs, environmental integrity, sustainable development, regional distribution, and simplicity and efficiency.

The report will be considered by the COP/MOP at its eight session, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, at the end of the year. [Publication: CDM Executive Board Annual Report to the COP/MOP]