Forestry Agency Establishes Help Desk for CDM Forestation

Japan's Forestry Agency has established a help desk on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) forest-related projects, to handle consultations, requests and inquiries from companies interested in afforestation projects under the Kyoto Mechanisms.

The Kyoto Mechanisms were named in the Kyoto Protocol as instruments to help achieve national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions (GHGs). The Kyoto Protocol was the result of the Third Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-3), held in December 1997. There are three mechanisms, as follows:
(1) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)--to promote collaboration between developed and developing countries to address global warming;
(2) Joint Implementation (JI)--to promote collaboration among developed countries against global warming;
(3) Emissions Trading--to promote the purchasing and selling of CO2 emissions credits among developed countries.

CDM and JI projects can either reduce the emissions or increase the "sinks" (absorption) of GHGs. At COP-7 in November 2001 it was decided that new afforestation and reforestation projects, which increase the absorption of GHGs, would be regarded as sinks projects under the CDM. The actual operating rules for such afforestation and reforestation projects are to be decided at COP-9, scheduled for December 2003.

In this context, the Forestry Agency's help desk will support companies interested in preparing for forest-related projects under the CDM. Services will include consulting on the details of actual projects and information on the rules for CDM forest projects.



Posted: 2003/06/27 09:36:54 AM
Japanese version