Official Websites | Technical Issues | CDM/JI Market | Discussion Forums

Official Websites

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change webpage contains all the official information concerning climate change. Inside this site, all CDM related information can be found. CDM rules are established in the modalities and procedures for a clean development mechanism (Annex to Decision 17/CP.7 of the Marrakesh Accords), giving rise to the CDM project activity cycle. CDM relevant entities can be found at:

CDM Executive Board (EB) as the authority supervising the CDM;
Designated Operational Entities (DOE) and Applicant Entities (AE) in charge of validating and/or verifying/certifying CDM projects;
Parties participating in the CDM shall designate a national authority for the CDM, called Designated National Authorities (DNA);
Several Panels and groups assist the EB in the performance of its functions, namely:

Accreditation Panel (CDM AP);
Methodology Panel (CDM Meth Panel);
Afforestation and Reforestation Working Group/Panel;
Small Scale CDM Panel.

Within the CDM site a lot of interesting information can be found such as: guidelines for completing the Project Design Document (PDD), which includes a glossary of common terms used in the CDM arena, as well as a list of baseline and monitoring methodologies under process.

An online facility for public comments for project design documents at the validation stage is also available at the UNFCCC CDM website.

Technical Issues

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) advises the UNFCCC Secretariat on objective scientific and technical matters related to climate change. The IPCC site contains technical reports and summaries that serve as an official source of the science of climate change for policy makers and are used for taking decisions and methodology guidelines for GHG accounting.

The GHG Protocol webpage provides accounting and reporting standards for GHG emissions from companies.

CDM/JI Market

In January 2005 the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) started operating as the largest multi-country, multi-sector Greenhouse Gas emission trading scheme world-wide. The scheme is based on Directive 2003/87/EC, which entered into force on 25 October 2003.

The International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) is a non-profit organization created in June 1999 to establish a functional international framework for trading greenhouse gas emission reductions. Its membership includes leading international companies from across the carbon trading cycle. IETA members seek to develop an emissions trading regime that results in real and verifiable greenhouse gas emission reductions while balancing economic efficiency with environmental integrity and social equity.

Point Carbon is one of the leading global providers of independent analysis, news, market intelligence and forecasting for the emerging carbon emission market.

GHG Solutions website provides wide information on global warming and related issues, including emission trading, CDM projects and market news. (In Japanese)

Discussion Forums

CDM Connect is a UNDP targeted online community for people working in the environmental sector and in particular those that have an interest in the CDM.