New UNFCCC report confirms coal power offset projects will generate millions of artificial carbon credits

10 November 2011, Brussels. A report published today by the UNFCCC’s expert panel shows that coal power plants that receive climate finance through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) may receive millions of artificial carbon credits under current rules. CDM Watch and Sierra Club call on the CDM Executive Board to exclude this project type from the CDM at the upcoming climate change conference in Durban.

The inconvenient truth is that coal remains a cheap and dirty fuel — and the idea of 'clean' coal remains a distant dream.

This year's UN climate negotiations are in Durban, South Africa. Many delegates will already be looking forward to the chance of going on safari after their labors, visiting Kruger National Park or one of the country's other magnificent game reserves. But I have another suggestion. Visit the enemy. Just two hours' drive up the Indian Ocean coast from Durban is Richards Bay, a huge deep-water harbor that is home to the world's largest coal export terminal.

Limiting global average temperature rise to 2 °C may be slipping from the world's grasp without urgent action this decade on emission reduction to combat climate change according to new climate modeling of emission pathways by a team lead by Dr Joeri Rogelj.

By Chris Lang, 10th November 2011

How can a company use the fact that it is one of largest forest destroyers in Indonesia to benefit from REDD? Easy. The very fact that the company is so destructive means that any forest in the company’s concessions is automatically threatened. So any patch of forest left standing must, by definition, be avoided deforestation.