Klima-Climate Change Center of the Manila Observatory, along with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies of the Japanese government, is offering free technical assistance to groups in Negros Occidental who have projects that can be eligible for the Clean Development Mechanism.

“Projects should be able to reduce any of the six greenhouse gases (covered under the Kyoto Protocol),” project coordinator Marina Mallare of the klima-Climate Change Center said at the start of the Capacity Building Workshop for CDM, at the Capitol Governor’s Hall yesterday.

The Kyoto Protocol,  an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

One of its three mechanisms, the CDM, allows developed countries to invest in carbon emission reduction projects in development countries, and projects must assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development and generate carbon reduction credits for the carbon buyers from developed countries.

Aside from carbon dioxide (CO2), also covered are methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

In the Philippines, where the designated national authority is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the North Wind Bangui Bay in Ilocos Norte was the first to be registered and the only project, so far, issued the Certified Emission Reductions of 27,807 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. 

Each carbon credit or a unit equal to a one ton carbon dioxide equivalent can be sold at $10 to buyer-countries like the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands and Japan.

Also in Negros Oriental, the 20-megawatt Nasulo Geothermal Project in Valencia town has been registered with an estimated ER of 74,975 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

In Negros Occidental, the First Farmers Holdings Corp. Bagasse Cogeneration Plant in Talisay City is requesting registration, with a yearly ER estimate of 119,787 tons.

Mallare said at today’s workshop at the L’Fisher Hotel, her group, with IGES representative Kazuhisa Koakutsu, will discuss technical aspects of the CDM projects with interested local groups.

CDM eligible projects are those involving renewable energy, fuel switching (biomass or biofuel), end-use energy efficiency improvements, supply-side energy efficiency improvements, waste management, sink projects (afforestation and reforestation),  industrial processes, and agriculture.      

Mallare said CDM assistance that klima-Climate Change Center and IGES will provide are identification and evaluation of possible CDM projects, estimation of potential emission reductions, preparation of the project design document, and endorsement to  New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization for the CER purchase.

She said, however, that getting into CDM is not that simple because projects have to go through a cycle that involves various stages from design, validation/registration to monitoring, verification/certification and finally, the issuance of CER.

The cycle can take six months to three years, depending on the preparation of the documents and how fast is the implementation of the project, Mallare said.

In the Philippines as of July 10, 2008, the DENR has already approved 56 projects. There are 77 applications and one requesting for registration. Also, 19 projects have already been registered and one issued with CER.*NLG

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