While current biofuel technology is rather straightforward and well understood, R&D is shifting the sector to more sophisticated processes needed to meet the increasing demand for biofuel, maximize feedstock use, reduce pressure on land and diminish production costs. Experts will discuss the potential risks and opportunities of this technology and its implications for the trade, development and competitiveness of the biofuel sector, with particular attention to the impact on developing countries.

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As part of the UNCTAD intergovernmental Expert Meeting on the "Participation of Developing Countries in New Dynamic Sectors of World Trade: Review of the Energy Sector" held on 29-30 November and 1 December 2006 at Palais des Nations, Geneva, a full day was dedicated to biofuels on 30 November 2006. The session will address the following issues:
1) trade, development and regulatory aspects of the emerging biofuels market;
2) economic diversification and food security concerns, including possible synergy and complementarities between the energy and agricultural sectors;
3) investment needs for biofuel and feedstock production and the possible role of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol as financing instrument; and
4) technological aspects of biofuels, with special emphasis on developing countries' access to present and forthcoming bioenergy.

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As part of the UNCTAD intergovernmental Expert Meeting on the "Participation of Developing Countries in New Dynamic Sectors of World Trade: Review of the Energy Sector" held on 29-30 November and 1 December 2006 at Palais des Nations, Geneva, a full day was dedicated to biofuels on 30 November 2006. The session will address the following issues:
1) trade, development and regulatory aspects of the emerging biofuels market;
2) economic diversification and food security concerns, including possible synergy and complementarities between the energy and agricultural sectors;
3) investment needs for biofuel and feedstock production and the possible role of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol as financing instrument; and
4) technological aspects of biofuels, with special emphasis on developing countries' access to present and forthcoming bioenergy.

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During the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the First Meetong of Parties of the Kyoto Protocol in Montreal, Canada in December 2005, UNCTAD convened a high-level side event on Biofuels Initiative: Moving towards a Sustainable Energy Future. This event was organized in partnership with various institutions and relevant initiatives such as the United Nations Foundation (UNF), the G8 Global Bioenergy Partnership, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNEP-Risoe, and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program, among others. During the event, UNCTAD presented papers on biofuels including the UNCTAD/DITC/TED/2005/1 document, Biofuels: Advantages and Trade Barriers (February 2005), and a technical paper entitled An Assessment of the Biofuels Industry in India, prepared by Joseph B. Gonsalves (June 2005). These publications aim to assess the potential for greater market penetration of biofuels, including ethanol and bio-diesel, and other alternative sources of energy. They address current impediments to greater production, domestic use and trade in biofuels, with particular attention to rural development and energy security, and discuss prospects for the greater use of alternative energy sources that are less carbon-intensive.

Additionally the UNCTAD Secretary General, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi delivered the attached video message.

Press release

View the side event webcast.

 

The ICTSD/UNCTAD side event on the linkages between the climate change regime and trade rules addressed the climate/trade interface, including relevant issues arising from the current Doha Round of trade negotiations. This event explored windows of opportunity in the international trading system for promoting climate policy, as well as possible obstacles.
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The UNCTAD/Earth Council Carbon Market Programme (CMP) side event at COP-9 presented the CMP current activities aimed at supporting clean development mechanism (CDM) project developers and Designated National Authorities (DNAs) to develop their capacity to engage in CDM projects and to participate in the emerging global GHG market. It has also launched the "Implementation Guide to the Clean Development Mechanism: Putting the Marrakech Accords into Practice", an UNCTAD/Earth Council publication prepared by Jon Rosales and Gao Pronove with the financial support of the United Nations Foundation.

Supporting DNAs in Implementing the CDM
Launching the Climate Investment Partnership. September 2003

The Southeast Asia Forum on Greenhouse Gas Market Mechanisms and Sustainable Development took place in Manila from 10 to 12 September 2003. The Forum addressed several topics, in particular recent developments in climate change policy, their impact on market mechanisms, and the overall contribution of greenhouse gas markets in the drive for sustainable development in the region. This Forum also provided participants an opportunity to discuss and interact with a group of senior policy makers and business representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as OECD countries.
Agenda

The workshop on the Clean Development Mechanism Implementation was organized to share experience gained under the UNDP, UNIDO and the UNCTAD interagency project entitled "Engaging the Private Sector in Clean Development Mechanism Project Activities under the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol".
Agenda

The workshop on the Clean Development Mechanism Implementation was organized by UNCTAD, the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Ministry of Science and Technology in December 2002. In this workshop UNCTAD/BNDES launched the "Clean Development Mechanism: A Brazilian Implementation Guide" in two languages (Portuguese and English).

The GHG Inventories Review Training Course was organized by UNCTAD and the UNFCC Secretariat. The workshop took place in the United Nations in Geneva from 2-6 December. The objective of the workshop was to present through E-learning modules the UNFCC Review Process and the General IPCC Inventory Guidance.

The CG11 Workshop was organized by UNCTAD and the Earth Council, in collaboration with Enviros, with support from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Climate Change Challenge Fund and the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships. The workshop took place in Zagreb, Croatia from 28-29 May 2002, immediately after a scheduled CG11 coordination meeting. The objectives of the workshop were to - (a) share knowledge on the range of policy options available to implement the Kyoto Protocol and the advantages and disadvantages as they apply to CG11 countries, including the application of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, and (b) discuss and identify practical and concrete next steps to further develop the capacity of CG11 countries to implement the Kyoto Protocol. The workshop was able to assist CG11 countries in developing a "road map" of policy options to implement Kyoto, and an initial CG11 capacity-building plan of action.
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LearnSD is the virtual campus that makes learning on sustainable development easy and accessible to all those who need it. Our mission is to complement existing capacity-building efforts and to make e-learning technology available to the many institutions, organizations and knowledge centers that work on sustainable development issues. By enabling other institutions and groups to use e-learning technology, LearnSD can make a wide range of world-class training and experts available online to the greatest number of people.
Visit the LearnSD.org website

on the UNCTAD Carbon Market Programme where the above-mentioned publications were launched and specific forthcoming activities under the Programme were announced: 1. CDM in LDCs (Tanzania) 2. OPEC Study (South East) and 3. Asian Forum on GHG (Philippines).

UNCTAD/Earth Council Institute released a CD-Rom which replicates the Carbon Market Programme's web site and includes all publications, reports, information generated by the programme since 1995.

2002 - UNCTAD launched a layperson's guide to the Clean Development Mechanism entitled A layperson's Guide to the CDM:
The Rules from Marrakesh

2002 - UNCTAD elaborated with UNEP-RISOE a layperson's guide to emissions trading entitled An emerging market for the environment: A Guide to Emissions Trading. This guide aims to inform the layperson on the mechanism used in the Kyoto Protocol to ensure that addressing climate change does not impose indue pressure on the global economy.

As it was the first time a developing country hosted the policy forum, the focus was on emissions trading in developing countries.

On October 31st, Lucas Assuncao joined the team as Coordinator. He has extensive experience in the climate change field and has previously worked with UNDP, the Rio Summit Secretariat, UNFCCC, ICTSD and UNCTAD in his capacity as the Geneva representative of the Earth Council. Salvano Briceno has taken up his new position as the Executive Director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

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UNCTAD's Emissions Trading team joined forces with the UNCTAD Advisory Services on Investment and Technology for a project entitled Engaging the Private Sector in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project Activities under the UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol. This project haslargely focused on engaging the private sector and providing other stakeholder groups with a private sector perspective relative to the CDM. This collaboration is aimed at stimulating and delivering "learning by doing" projects (CDM pilot projects) involving the private sector with the view to examine on a practical and pragmatic level the key issues associated with a viable CDM.

In September, UNCTAD organized a workshop in collaboration with the Russian Government to discuss emissions trading and the challenges and opportunties for countries with Economies in Transition (EITs). This Moscow workshop (agenda) has provided key input and a basis for an upcoming workshop to be held in Geneva. The Geneva workshop will discuss possibilities for an EIT support programme for national inventories and national emissions trading systems. For more information, please visit Projects.

On April 1st, Salvano Briceno joined the project as Coordinator. Frank Joshua took a leave of absence from UNCTAD to work with Arthur Andersen in their group on emissions trading.

"The Clean Development Mechanism - Building International Public-Private Partnership - A Preliminary Examination of Technical, Financial & Institutional Issues" (263 KB, .pdf) with the support of US AID. Resulting from three CDM International Working Group (IWG) meetings; Final Editor: Malik Amin Aslam

"Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading: Executive Summary" (1.87 MB, .pdf) with the financial support of the UK government and the UN Foundation Contributing Authors: Tom Tietenberg, Michael Grubb, Axel Michaelowa, Byron Swift and ZhongXiang Zhang

"Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading: Defining the principles, modalities, rules and guidelines for verification, reporting and accountability" (614 KB, .pdf) with the financial support of the UK government and the UN Foundation Contributing Authors: Tom Tietenberg, Michael Grubb, Axel Michaelowa, Byron Swift and ZhongXiang Zhang