Home > E-leaning CDM / Courses > Glossary Course Guidance Courses FAQ     Glossary   Annex I Parties Annex I to the Climate Convention (UNFCCC) lists all the countries in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), plus countries with economies in transition, Central and Eastern Europe (excluding the former Yugoslavia and Albania). By default the other countries are referred to as Non-Annex I countries. Under Article 4.2 (a&b) of the Convention, Annex I countries commit themselves specifically to the aim of returning individually or jointly to their 1990 levels by the year 2000. Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol would mean their acceptance of emission targets for the period 2008 - 2012 as per Article 3 and Annex B. Certification The process by which an independent accredited body (operational entity) gives written assurance of the emission reductions that have been achieved. In the case of an activity under the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, certification also gives assurances that the reductions occurred under the conditions (sustainable development objectives have been met) necessary for recognition by the Parties. Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) A unit of Greenhouse Gas reductions that has been generated and certified under the provisions of Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). In contrast, Emissions Reduction Units (ERUs) are used for Joint Implementation (JI) under Article 6 of the Protocol. According to Article 12, CERs must be "certified by operational entities to be designated by the Conference of the Parties (COP) serving as the Meeting of the Parties (MOP)” Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) The text of Article 12 currently describes more of an idea than an operational entity. Highly innovative, it has the potential to meet the needs of both developing and industrialized countries. It could help solve non-Annex I needs for capital for the financing of technology transfer for clean, energy efficient economic development and for addressing environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, while also providing a lower cost, more flexible alternative for Annex I countries to meet emissions reduction targets. According to Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, the "purpose of the Clean Development Mechanism shall be to assist Parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development, and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the Convention, and to assist Parties included in Annex I in achieving compliance with their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under Article 3." Climate Change A change in climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability over comparable time periods. Commitment Period The commitment period, sometimes referred to as the "compliance period" or the "budget period", is the time frame given to Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to meet their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments (QELRCs) established in Annex B. Under the Kyoto Protocol the first commitment period is 2008-2012, during which the assigned amount (of emissions) for each Party (on average, 5% below 1990 emission levels) included in Annex I must be equal to or lower than the percentage listed for it in Annex B multiplied by five. Conference of the Parties (COP) The COP is the supreme body of the Convention. It currently meets once a year to review the Convention's progress. The world “conference” is not used here in the sense of “meeting” but rather of “association” the Parties. Credit Originally defined as a "quantifiable and verifiable recognition of the reduction, avoidance or sequestration of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases as a result of carbon offset project", the word "credit" was discontinued in the official language of the climate negotiations after COP3 in favor of emissions reduction units (ERUs), and certified emissions reductions (CERs). "Credit" was a difficult term because it held a number of different technical meanings and connotations in different languages -- making negotiations on issues involving GHG "credits" confusing. Emissions The release of GHGs and/or their precursors (pollutants) into the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time. Emissions can also be released into waterways (streams, oceans, etc.). Executive Board The Executive Board of the CDM is established in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. Although many of the functions, makeup and terms of the executive board are still to be determined, the main role is to supervise the CDM and oversee the operational entities, which “certify” certified emission reductions. Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) Any gas that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation into the atmosphere. Host country The country where the reduction, avoidance or sequestration of greenhouse gas takes place. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment Programme. It conducts rigorous surveys of the worldwide technical and scientific literature and publishes assessment reports that are widely recognized as the most credible existing sources on climate change. The IPCC also works on methodologies and responds to specific requests from the Convention's subsidiary bodies. Kyoto Mechanisms Economic mechanisms based on market principles that Parties to the Kyoto Protocol can use in an attempt to lessen the potential economic impacts of GHG emission-reduction requirements. They include Joint Implementation (Article 6), the Clean Development Mechanisms (Article 12) and Emissions Trading (Article 17). Kyoto Protocol The Protocol, drafted during the Berlin Mandate process, that, on entry into force, would require countries listed in its Annex B (developed nations) to meet differentiated reduction targets for their GHG emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2008-2012. It was adopted by all Parties to the Climate Convention in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. Mitigation An anthropogenic intervention to reduce the emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. Sustainable Development Sustainable Development is a broad concept referring to the need to balance the satisfaction of near-term interests with the protection of the interests of future generations, including their need for a safe and healthy environment. As expressed by the 1987 UN World Commission on Environment and Development (the "Brundtland Commission"), sustainable development "meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) A treaty signed in 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro by more than 150 countries. Its ultimate objective is the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system”. While no legally binding level of emissions is set, the treaty states an aim by Annex I countries to return these emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The treaty took effect in March 1994 upon the ratification of more than 50 countries; a total of some 160 nations have now ratified. In March 1995, the UNFCCC held the first session of the COP, the supreme body of the Convention, in Berlin. Its Secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany. In the biennium 2000-01, its approved budget and staffing level are approximately US$12 million annually with approximately 80 personnel. Validation The process of independent evaluation of a project activity by an accredited independent entity. Verification Verification involves a third party checking that the emissions reductions claimed in the national and international registers or "books" have actually occurred and evaluating the results that have been achieved against pre-set criteria. Verification is a "reality check" on the books. It could involve physical, on-site inspection, or where useful, deployment of techniques such as remote sensing, or interviewing relevant personnel in person or otherwise. It could be applied to each and every project or to a fraction of projects chosen randomly or selected according to agreed criteria.