..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 27 March 2006
Information Note: N/15/2006

UNESCAP Initiating Review of Developing Country Options for Climate Change Actions beyond the Kyoto Protocol

Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- Experts from Asian countries will gather in Bangkok to review the options for developing country actions to reduce green house gas emissions.

Developing countries, or “Non-Annex I Countries of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)” will attend the “Asia-Pacific Dialogue on Innovative Options for Non-Annex I Countries Participation for Climate Change Action” at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok on 29 March 2006.

UNESCAP will put forth a new option which proposes to discount the Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects to generate net global emission reductions and to promote more widely unilateral CDM as an incentive for developing country to voluntarily initiate emission reduction projects.

One of the most important issues for the future of any climate regime is the active participation of developing countries. Little progress has been made, because many developing countries are worried that binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will limit economic growth.

The proposed CER discounting scheme linked with unilateral CDM aims to create incentives for developing countries to join climate action without imposing binding targets on them.

The meeting is jointly organized by UNESCAP and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Approximately 30 participants from 12 countries are expected to join the dialogue on 29 March, including country negotiators, policy makers, CDM executive board members, climate change experts, private sectors, UNESCAP and representatives of other UN agencies.

CERs are carbon credits generated through CDM which is a mechanism for project-based emission reduction activities in developing countries under the Kyoto Protocol. The first commitment period of the Protocol is from 2008 to 2012.

For further information, please contact:
Mr. Rae Kwon Chung, Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Division
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1510; Fax: +(66-2) 288-1048
E-mail: chung1@un.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
David Lazarus, Chief
UN Information Services Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861/66 Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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