Lee Presents on CDM Reform at Carbon Market Insights 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Cathy Lee will present at Carbon Market Insights 2009, a Point Carbon conference taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 17-19, 2009. Lee will present on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Reform.

Lee, who shaped much of her CDM expertise and thinking in concert with her strategic partner Charlotte Streck of Climate Focus, will discuss how both shorter-term and long-term CDM reform will need to focus on three broad areas:

Environmental Integrity

• CDM must produce additional and real emissions: must address the real and even greater perceived problem of environmental additionality, now widely spoken of based on recent studies, including Alex's work.

Procedural integrity

• The rules must incorporate Due process principles, be clear and be applied in a transparent manner so they are in fact and are also perceived to be rational and fair.

Accessibility

• Largely a cost and capacity building issue, at least in the case of Africa.
• Lack of access to capital and the transaction costs kill most projects and lack of understanding about what kinds of projects can work gets most of the rest.
• Making the PoA workable and affordable and available for large scale EE projects is key.

Carbon Market Insights 2009, will discuss the way forward for international climate policy and will look at the impacts of the financial crisis on carbon markets and discuss whether the economic downturn could reduce the chances of reaching a new climate agreement. Key leaders will convey their views on how a re-focusing of the global economy towards investments in the clean technology and natural resources can help restructure and revive global markets. Updates on the current status and expected development for emissions trading around the world will round out the presentations.

Lee International helps organizations benefit strategically and financially from carbon emissions trading schemes. Our focus is on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in developing countries, emission reduction projects for the voluntary markets in the USA and Europe, and the new mandatory regional trading programs in the USA, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The firm provides a full complement of legal, regulatory and advisory services connecting buyers and sellers in Brazil, South Africa, China, Canada, EU, and the USA, while monitoring emerging carbon trading programs in the United States.

For more information, contact Cathy Lee of Lee International.