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CDM registers 1000th project

16 April 2008

After only two and a half years, the Kyoto protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has registered its one thousandth project, the United Nations' climate change secretariat said on Monday.

The thousandth is an energy efficiency project in Andhra Pradesh, India, which is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 34,000 tons per year.

The 1000 projects are expected to collectively slash emissions in 49 countries by more than 200 million tonnes annually.

To date, CDM projects overseen by the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change have generated certified emission cuts equivalent to 135 million tons of CO2, the UN said.

The CDM works by allowing rich countries can meet their greenhouse gas reduction targets by buying offset credits issued to clean energy projects in developing nations.

India and China share more than half of all registered projects.

"The CDM has passed another milestone, time to reflect on our success and redouble our efforts to improve and expand the mechanism," said Rajesh Kumar Sethi, chair of the CDM's executive board.

Mr Sethi the 'infant' CDM has shown its potential and was maturing into a 'junior'.

UNFCCC executive secretary Yvo de Boer said the CDM had "provided developed countries with a degree of flexibility in how they meet their commitments under the Kyoto protocol".

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