Clean Development Mechanism
    1 What is the Clean Development Mechanism?  
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    How does the CDM affect developing countries?
                       
    At present, developing countries have no obligations to constrain their GHG emissions. But they are still able, on a voluntary basis, to contribute to global emission reductions by hosting projects under the Clean Development Mechanism.  
                       
   

The CDM has two key goals:

  • To assist developing countries who host CDM projects to achieve sustainable development;

  • To provide developed countries with flexibility for achieving their emission reduction targets, by allowing them to take credits from emission reducing projects undertaken in developing countries.
 
    The greenhouse gas benefits of each CDM project will be measured according to internationally agreed methods and will be quantified in standard units, to be known as 'Certified Emission Reductions' (CERs). These are expressed in tons of CO2 emission avoided. When the Kyoto Protocol becomes fully operational, it is anticipated that these 'carbon credits' will be bought and sold in a new environmental market; they are already becoming a commodity.  
                       
  How is the CDM relevant to the land-use sector?      
                       
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