Climate assessors under scrutiny
An Öko-Institut study hot off the press reveals that the United Nations continues to be dissatisfied with the performance of the companies validating climate change mitigation projects in the developing world. Such projects can be initiated under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in order to deliver emissions reductions wherever such reductions are most cost-efficient. It is already the second evaluation by the Öko-Institut of the work of the companies (termed Designed Operational Entities, DOEs). The verdict is that they have failed to clean up their act since the first in 2009.
DOE line-up:
| Rating scale | DOE | Average score |
| A | -- | |
| B | -- | |
| C | -- | |
| D | TÜV-Nord | 0.66 |
| E | SGS (E+) | 0.58 |
| DNV (E+) | 0.58 | |
| TÜV-Süd (E+) | 0.61 | |
| F | BVC | 0.44 |
This rating is based on analysis of more than 900 projects validated by five DOEs. The ranking reflects the satisfaction of the United Nations with the company’s handling of the project registration process.
Commissioned by WWF, the study shows that only 36 percent of project proposals were sufficiently well documented to be registered automatically with the UN. All the others needed substantial improvement. A large number were rejected because of failure to demonstrate “additionality”. CDM projects must be “additional” – this means the DOE must demonstrate that a project would not have been carried out if there were no CDM registration and thus none of the financing that this generates. Without additionality, greenhouse gas emissions would increase overall at global level.
The full text of the study – 2010 Rating of Designated Operational Entities (DOEs) accredited under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – and a summary is available for download free of charge >> here.
Contact
Mandy Schossig
Öko-Institut e.V., Berlin Office
Head of Public Relations & Communication
Phone +49 (0)30 505085-334
E-mail Contact
The Öko-Institut is a leading European research and consultancy institution working for a sustainable future. Founded in 1977, and maintaining its independence ever since, the institute lays the groundwork and delivers strategies for sustainable development at global, national and local level. The institute has offices in Freiburg, Darmstadt and Berlin.