Thomas Day from NewClimate Institute presented findings from the report "Vulnerability of CDM projects for discontinuation of mitigation activities" during an official side-event at the 2017 Bonn Climate Change Conference.
The report report looks at the vulnerability of CDM projects for discontinuation, as well as exploring options to support continued mitigation.
Vulnerability of CDM projects for discontinuation of mitigation activities (SB46)
1. SB46 Side-Event: From CDM to international climate
finance: Ensuring continuity of mitigation action
Vulnerability of CDM projects
for discontinuation of
mitigation activities
Thomas Day
Bonn, 11 May 2017
2. Report release today
211/05/2017
Project executed by:
NewClimate Institute
Öko-Institut
Lambert Schneider
Supported by the German Emissions
Trading Authority (DEHSt)
Download: newclimate.org/publications
3. Main research questions
311/05/2017
1. Which CDM projects are most at risk of discontinuing
mitigation?
2. What is the potential mitigation impact from supporting
vulnerable projects?
3. What options exist for supporting vulnerable projects?
5. Assessing project vulnerability
511/05/2017
Low – medium risk Variable risk / potentially high
Coal mine methane
EE Industry
EE own generation
EE supply side
Forests
Fossil fuel switch
Geothermal
Hydro
Solar
Wind
Biomass
Household energy efficiency
Fugitive
HFCs
Landfill gas
Methane avoidance
N2O
PFCs+SF6
7. Support options: manure management
711/05/2017
Support options should
consider:
Limited capacities at the farm
level
Small-scale capital for motor
replacements
Difficulties with connecting to
the grid
Unavailability of the original
3rd party project operators
9. Support options: biomass energy
911/05/2017
Support options
should consider:
High price of biomass
Volatility of market
supply
10. Vulnerability: Household energy efficiency
1011/05/2017
Mitigation potential for cook stoves up to ca. 1.2 MtCO2e in India and
Kenya combined, but this potential is uncertain.
Very high replicability: emissions from wood fuels worldwide are approx.
1.2 GtCO2e
11. Support options: cook stoves
1111/05/2017
Support options should
consider:
No incentives for project
owner to participate
Households cannot afford
clean stoves
Awareness on optimal usage
limited amongst households
Cultural preferences for
traditional methods
12. Summary and conclusions
1211/05/2017
Observations: risk and mitigation impact of continuation
• Projects with 3rd party ownership/participation generally at higher risk
• Projects without revenues or cost savings remain highly dependant on carbon
finance: limited transition to long term independence
• The discontinuation scenario of vulnerable projects is not always the same as
the project baseline scenario: mitigation impact of continuation should be
assessed carefully for each project type
13. Summary and conclusions
1311/05/2017
Observations: support options
Enhanced CER demand (intl. purchase facilities / domestic market instruments)
• Can positively impact projects through increasing financial benefits and
stimulating re-engagement of third party project participants.
• Sometimes found to have only potential for short term impact; limited long-
term removal of non-financial barriers after carbon finance is withdrawn.
• Not all project types face the same barriers as they did at project conception;
restored CER finance should not be expected to remove the barriers for all
vulnerable project types.
Domestic policies / programmes (unilateral or with support e.g. NAMAs)
• High potential for long-term barrier removal for all project types assessed.
• Pilot sector-level crediting mechanisms may offer an appropriate channel for
supporting a policy / programme oriented approach driven at the sector level.
14. Contact details:
Thank you for your attention!
www.newclimate.org
Thomas Day
t.day@newclimate.org
Publications available under newclimate.org/publications
Commercial livestock manure management projects are known to have faced considerable difficulties in Mexico and Brazil due to third party ownership issues, resulting in at least 88% and 58% of projects in these countries, respectively, being already dismantled. The remaining projects are mostly likely to have had the same fate, whilst the farms where technologies are installed are at a high risk of discontinuing, if they have not done so already. All manure management projects in Thailand utilise biogas for electricity and do not face the same barriers regarding ownership structures and capacities for technology operation as projects in Mexico or Brazil, and as such are considered low risk.
Wastewater projects are understood to be at low risk of discontinuation in India, Thailand and Malaysia due to the high benefits of biogas utilisation, and the recent availability of grid connectivity in these countries.
The risk of project discontinuation for composting projects in Malaysia is identified as uncertain, due the variability of conditions. Although many projects are likely to continue, there is considerably uncertainty due to changeable local market conditions and the immaturity of the EBF compost market, and many projects are understood to be in the process of dismantling.
Bagasse energy in the sugar industry is a low risk activity in both India and Brazil due to the highly positive economic conditions from the sale of electricity to the grid.
Biomass IPP projects are generally at high risk of discontinuation in India, where biomass prices are relatively high and the biomass supply chain is unreliable. The risk of projects in Thailand is comparatively lower, due to more favourable conditions for the price and availability of biomass for projects.
Projects using biomass for captive energy generation in India are generally considered to have a high risk of discontinuation, since the price of biomass as well as the unreliability of the supply chain favour a switch to coal fired energy generation in most cases.
Lighting projects are considered to be at low risk of discontinuation in Mexico, India and Pakistan. In Mexico, regulations require the continuation of the project. In India and Pakistan, it is determined that households are likely to finance replacement of bulbs due to their increasing market presence, the decreasing costs and improving knowledge on their benefits.
Cook stove projects are considered to have a high risk of discontinuation in India and Kenya. Regulations do not require the continuation of the use of efficient stoves in both countries. Project owners have no incentive to continue financing replacement stoves and households are highly unlikely to finance this due to the considerable costs and other barriers including knowledge of benefits and cultural preferences.