Environmental Legislation's, Clean Development Mechanism, Kyoto Protocol

1. Environmental Legislations
SHAMIN MUTH KK
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
MECHANICAL ENGG.

2. Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Protocols
What is a Multilateral Environmental Agreement…??
• Its is a legal binding agreement between two or more nations
which contains commitments to meet specific environmental
objectives.
• It is a powerful tool for implementation of various environmental
protection aspects by the fellow nations
SHAMINMUTH KK

3. The Stockholm Convention
• It was held at Sweden in June 1972.
• The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health
and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long
periods,
• They become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty
tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.
• POPs circulate globally and can cause damage wherever they travel.
SHAMINMUTH KK

4. The Stockholm Convention (Cont..)
• In implementing the Convention, Governments will take measures
to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment.
• Over 150 countries signed the Convention and it entered into force,
on 17 May 2004, 90 days after the ratification by the fiftieth
country.
• The Stockholm Convention focuses on eliminating or reducing
releases of 12 POPs, the so-called "Dirty Dozen".
SHAMINMUTH KK

5. First World Climate Conference
• The First World Climate
Conference was held on
February 1979 in Geneva and
sponsored by the World
Meteorological Organization.
• It was one of the first major
international meetings on
climate change.• The Conference led to the
establishment of the World
Climate Programme and the
World Climate Research
Programme.
• It also led to the creation of the
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC)
SHAMINMUTH KK

6. Brundtland Report
• Formally known as the World Commission
on Environment and Development
(WCED), the Brundtland Commission's
mission is to unite countries to pursue
sustainable development together.
The report deals with sustainable development and the
change of politics needed for achieving it.
"Sustainable development is development
that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs".
It contains two key concepts:
• The concept of "needs", to which priority
should be given;
• The idea of limitations imposed by
the state of technology
SHAMINMUTH KK

7. The United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED)
• Was held in Rio de Janeiro on
June 1992 and around
172 countries participated.
• The issues addressed included:
 Systematic scrutiny of patterns of production — particularly the
production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or
poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
 Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels
which are linked to global climate change
 New reliance on public transportation systems in order to
reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health
problems caused by polluted air and smoke.
SHAMINMUTH KK

8. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
"stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system“
UNFCCC is an international environmental
treaty.
The objective of the treaty is to:
It conducts yearly conferences known
as Conference of Parties (COPs) to
assess the progress in dealing with
climate change.
SHAMINMUTH KK

9. Kyoto Protocol
Is an international treaty, which extends the 1992 United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits State
Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, based on the premise that
(a) global warming exists
(b) man-made CO2 emissions have caused it.
• The Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan
and entered into force on 16 February
2005. There are currently 192 Parties to the
Protocol.
• The Kyoto Protocol implemented the
objective of the UNFCCC to fight global
warming by reducing greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere to a level
that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the
climate system SHAMINMUTH KK

10. Emissions trading
Emissions trading is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing
economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants
A central authority sets a cap
(Permissible limit) on the
amount of a pollutant that may
be emitted.
The limit is allocated by the
authority to firms in the form of
emissions permits
Emissions
permits : It’s the
right to emit or
discharge a
specific volume
of the specified
pollutant.
These permits can then
be traded on secondary
markets.
The buyer pays a
charge for polluting,
while the seller
gains a reward for
having reduced
emissions.
SHAMINMUTH KK

11. Carbon Credits
 Carbon credits are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-
equivalent (CO2e)and may represent six primary categories of
greenhouse gases:
i. Carbon dioxide (CO2),
ii. Methane (CH4),
iii. Nitrous oxide (N2O),
iv. Per fluorocarbons (PFCs),
v. Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), and
vi. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
SHAMINMUTH KK

12. Carbon Credits
A carbon credit is a financial instrument that represents a tone of
CO2 removed or reduced from the atmosphere from an emission
reduction project, which can be used, by governments, industry or
private individuals to offset damaging carbon emissions that they
are generating.
What are Carbon Credits ?
How are Carbon Credits used?
Carbon credits are associated with either removing existing CO2
from the atmosphere (carbon sequestration from forests and
planting of trees or the reduction of future CO2)
CO2e emissions from renewable energy and energy efficiency
projects (that displace fossil fuel power generation production or
industrial processes.)
SHAMINMUTH KK

13. Where do Carbon Credits come from?
Carbon Credits
Carbon credits originate from a range of emission reduction
activities associated with the removal of existing emissions from
the atmosphere and the reduction of future emissions.
These are commonly called "methodologies".
I. Afforestation and reforestation activities
II. Use of renewable sources of energy
III. Carbon credits created while construction of a wind farm
Carbon credits originated through these emission reduction
activities can be used for a variety of market mechanisms and
schemes.
SHAMINMUTH KK

14. Carbon Credits
SHAMINMUTH KK

15. Principle: Developed countries can invest in abatement
opportunities in developing countries and receive credits for
resulting credits.
This can reduce the need for developing countries to invest in more
expensive mitigation projects within their own borders.
What is its purpose..?
1. To assist Annex 1 parties to stick with their emission limitation
and reduction commitments.
2. To assist the non-Annex 1 parties in contributing to conventions
ultimate objective
3. To assist the non-Annex 1 parties in achieving sustainable
development.
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
SHAMINMUTH KK

16. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the flexible
Mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol
SHAMINMUTH KK

17. SHAMINMUTH KK
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
• The parties participating in CDM should appoint a national authority for CDM
• Based on the CDM project cycle a project proposal that contains the written
approval showing the voluntary participation of the parties has to be included.
• This authority should confirm that the project activity assists their country in
achieving sustainable development.
National CDM Authority (MoEF)
Powers of National CDM Authority
• To invite officials and experts from governmental, NGO, legal profession,
industry, commerce etc. based on need.
• To interact with the concerned authorities regarding CDM.
• Taking up any environmental issues related to CDM or sustainable
development.
• To provide guidelines to GOI for consideration of projects.

18. SHAMINMUTH KK
Advantages of CDM
1. CDM is considered as a new source of funding for
environmental friendly projects.
 Positive contribution to local environment.
 Contributions to economy generating positive social impacts.
 Encourage foreign investments in low emission technologies.
2. Provides future benefits for project developers which motivates
the main developers.
 Enables proposal of better quality projects.
 Avoids marginalization of supplies.
 Materialization of companies social and environmental policies.

19. SHAMINMUTH KK
Disadvantages of CDM
× Additionality, transaction cost and bottlenecks:
Additionality is difficult to prove and is subjected to
vigorous debates.
× Incentives : Aim of gaining credits is not focus on
emission reduction but mainly on earning credits.
× Legal resistance: Local resistance for the
implementation of project is a big challenge.