Bonn, 18 November 2004 ? On the day when the crucial ratification for
the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol on 16 February 2005 has arrived,
the first project of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been
registered.  The project will reduce emissions of methane from a landfill
in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The registration of this project starts a new phase of the implementation
of the CDM.  This central feature for global collaboration on climate
change in the Kyoto Protocol has now come alive. The CDM is an innovative
mechanism that mobilizes private and public resources for mitigating
climate change and, at the same time, promoting sustainable development.

The project is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from a landfill site by capturing methane
to use it for generating electricity and will have direct health and
environmental benefits for the local community of Nova Igacú. It is
expected to reduce about 31,000 tonnes of methane per year which, in terms
of global warming potential, is equivalent to a reduction of 670,000 tonnes
of CO2.  This project holds a large potential as a model for similar
projects in other parts of Brazil and the whole world.

Background

The CDM was established under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol as a way of promoting
sustainable development while minimizing the costs of limiting greenhouse
gas emissions: In return for investing in a CDM sustainable development
project, companies will earn "certified emission reductions" that developed
countries may use to meet their Kyoto commitments. It is supervised by an
Executive Board which is responsible to the Conference of the Parties to
the UNFCCC.

In order to qualify, a CDM project must deliver multiple benefits: credits
for reducing GHG emissions to the investors and sustainable development to
the developing country which hosts the project and contributes to
stabilizing GHG concentrations in the atmosphere below dangerous levels.  A
successful CDM energy project can, for example, earn certified emission
reductions (CERs) during a minimum of seven and a maximum of 21 years.  By
using CERs, industrialized countries and companies can comply with their
Kyoto and/or national targets at costs below those commonly encountered for
domestic projects.  By being mutually beneficial, the CDM can break new
ground in North-South collaboration for the global commons.

The project involves S.A. Paulista, EcoSecurities and the World Bank
Netherlands Clean Development Facility (WB NCDF).  It was validated by "DNV
Certification UK", one of the companies accredited by the CDM Executive
Board.

Information on the pipeline of projects pursuing registration under the CDM
can be found on the UNFCCC CDM web site.

For more information about the CDM, please consult <http://unfccc.int/cdm>
or e-mail cdm-info@unfccc.int

This UNEP press release has not been reviewed by HORIZON's Scientific Review Board.