3rd Africa Carbon Forum in Marrakesh, on 4–6 July 2011

3rd Africa Carbon Forum in Marrakesh, on 4–6 July 2011

3rd Africa Carbon Forum in Marrakesh, on 4–6 July 2011 Conference, Trade Fair to help spur CDM projects in Africa

Designed to spur investment in emission reduction projects and help countries capitalize on the development benefits of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, the third Africa Carbon Forum is set to take place at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 4–6 July.

The Forum, which marks the 10th anniversary of the Marrakesh Accords – the adoption of the rules that govern the CDM – will feature a trade fair and serve as a knowledge sharing platform for carbon investments in Africa. It will be the place to discuss developments in the African carbon market and how the CDM can increase its mark on the continent, through, among other things, matchmaking and deal facilitation sessions where carbon project developers can showcase their projects to investors and carbon buyers.

The Africa Carbon Forum, an initiative of the Nairobi Framework partner UN agencies and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), will build on the growing interest in the CDM in Africa, which now hosts 61 projects in 19 countries.

The Africa Carbon Forum brings together project developers, buyers, service providers, national CDM representatives, international organizations, civil society, and various other private and public sector stakeholders.

“The event is an important part of efforts to scale up and extend the benefits of the CDM to the African continent,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres. “Interest in CDM projects in Africa is growing. It is extremely important that we build on that interest and growth, for the good of communities and the climate.”

In November 2006, then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the Nairobi Framework, aimed at spreading the benefits of the CDM. Since then, interest in the mechanism in Africa has grown, and with it the number of projects and hosting countries.

Over a thousand participants attended the ACF in Nairobi last year. This year’s event is on track to exceed that number.

The Nairobi Framework implementing partners include: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its Risoe Centre; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat.

The conference programme will focus on: • Transitioning toward low-carbon sustainable development; • The role of climate finance instruments in promoting green investment; • Challenges in financial engineering for climate-friendly projects; • Cities and carbon finance; • Forestry, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD); • Scaling up clean and efficient technologies; and • CDM Programme of Activities

About the UNFCCC

With 195 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 192 of the UNFCCC Parties. Under the Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

About the CDM

The CDM allows emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reductions (CERs), each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. CERs can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM assists countries in achieving sustainable development and emission reductions, in addition to reducing their emissions, while giving industrialized countries some flexibility in how they meet their emission targets.
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