S-S GATE, UNDP and UNFCCC join hands to help green COP 17

Source: http://unfccc.int/files/press/

(Durban, 8 December 2011) – Certified emission reduction (CER) credits from a clean development mechanism project in Johannesburg will be used to offset the travel of UNFCCC Secretariat staff and supported delegates to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 17).

The Secretariat of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), together with the South-South Global Assets and Technology Exchange (SS-GATE) and the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in the UN Development Programme (UNDP) made a presentation to announce the offset initiative at the conference.

"Climate change is a shared responsibility. We all have to take stock, and then look for ways to do our part, to walk the talk. Offsetting, using quality credits, is an important part of the secretariat's efforts to reduce its emissions,” said Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

The Executive Secretary expressed appreciation to the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in UNDP for having established SS-GATE, the platform that enabled the offsetting donation.

"This effort, which has brought together public sector agencies, a private sector partner and an emission reduction project incentivized by the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism, is an example of the kind of cooperation and imagination needed to tackle climate change," said Richard Kinley, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNFCCC. He also acknowledged the valuable role of South-South cooperation in this offset initiative.

The event included a presentation of the innovative collaboration between SS-GATE and the UNFCCC Secretariat to offset the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the travel of the Secretariat and supported delegates to COP 17. Through its transaction platform, SS-GATE secured a donor, Guangzhou Shengzhou Investment Limited Corporation, to purchase certified emission reduction (CER) units originating from the Corobrik Lawley Fuel Switch Project in Johannesburg, South Africa, to offset the 1844 tonnes of GHG emissions resulting from the 398 secretariat staff and 369 supported delegates' travel to and from COP 17.

The CDM project involved the conversion of the Corobrik Lawley coal-fired clay brick factory to natural gas. The company is the largest supplier of bricks in South Africa, producing 73 million bricks annually.

"We commend SS-GATE and UNFCCC for taking this step forward in offsetting the emissions from COP 17 and we also commend you for choosing a project that is locally based,” said Dr. Janitha Badul, Director of Policy Coordination in the Ministry of Environment of South Africa.

"We are honored that the SS-GATE transaction platform was selected as a mechanism to secure a donor of the CERs for this offsetting effort,” said SS-GATE CEO, Dr. Lin Jian, "and we look forward to facilitating future offsetting efforts.”

"There are many great opportunities for cooperation between China and South Africa in both CDM capacity-building and environmental technology transfer, particularly in wind and solar technologies,” said Mr. Li Jun Feng, Deputy Director of the Energy Research Institute in the National Development and Reform Commission of China.

"The Special Unit for South-South Cooperation thanks the UNFCCC Secretariat for its partnership and leadership in initiating this successful emissions offsetting effort,” said Mr. Yiping Zhou, Director of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in UNDP, "and we look forward to future collaborative efforts.”

SS-GATE was established by the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in UNDP as a global technology transfer mechanism to enable member states, UN organizations and agencies, and entities from both the public and private sectors to mainstream South-South cooperation efforts and effectively disseminate and scale up successful South-South initiatives. The SS-GATE platform, through its network of 36 country centres throughout the global South as well as its web-based portal, provides matching and value added support services to facilitate South-South and triangular exchanges of environmental technologies, services and financing.

The Special Unit for South-South Cooperation was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1978, with the primary mandate to promote, coordinate and support South-South and triangular cooperation on a global and United Nations system-wide basis.

About the UNFCCC With 195 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 193 of the UNFCCC Parties. Under the Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

About the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism The clean development mechanism (CDM) allows emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their targets under the Protocol. The CDM assists countries in achieving sustainable development and emission reductions, while giving industrialized countries some flexibility in how they meet their emission targets.

With more than 3,600 registered projects in 72 developing countries, the CDM has proven to be a powerful mechanism to deliver finance for emission-reduction projects and contribute to sustainable development. To date, some 1270 projects in 45 countries have been issued a total of more than 780 million CERs.

See also: unfccc.int Follow UNFCCC on Twitter: @UN_ClimateTalks UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres on Twitter: @CFigueres UNFCCC on Facebook: facebook.com/UNClimateTalks

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