Executive Board streamlines CDM processes

Tighter standards and more streamlined procedures for the accreditation of third-party certifiers of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects were announced at the CDM Executive Board meeting held in Bonn, Germany yesterday.

Third-party assessors - Designated Operating Entities (DOEs) - will now be subject to random testing in an effort to speed up their accreditation of projects. The new standard has enabled the EB to almost double its certification services for the 15 types of projects covered under the CDM.

Lack of certification service was raised as a concern at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Poznan in December last year.

Other improvements to the CDM process were also discussed at the EB meeting, including ensuring that EB guidance is clearer, that decision-making is carried out in a more transparent and accelerated manner and that documentation is more accessible to parties involved.

Jeff Kenna, chief executive officer of project developer Camco says the accreditation of additional DOEs is a further encouraging step towards an efficient CDM process. "The Executive Board has also made it clear that all accredited entities will be subject to performance monitoring which will continue to ensure that the highest standards are maintained," he says.