Applications Begin for Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism Projects

The government of Japan recently created the Coordinating Committee for Use of the Kyoto Mechanisms under the Steering Committee of the Global Warming Prevention Headquarters, which consists of six related government offices (including the Cabinet Secretariat). The coordinating committee deals with approvals by Japan, as a Party to the Kyoto Protocol, of projects that relate to Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as well as any procedures and other essential matters relating to project approvals.

The coordinating committee has published guidelines on project approvals. Five government ministries, including the Ministry of the Environment, started accepting JI and CDM project applications on October 18.

The "Clean Development Mechanism" is a system in which industrialized countries provide the funds for projects in developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and a part of the achieved reductions can be credited to the industrialized country. "Joint Implementation" is a system in which one industrialized country provides funding for projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in territories of other industrialized countries, and both sides share the emission reduction credits.

The project approval guidelines state as follows
1) An applicant for Japanese government approval of a proposed JI or CDM project shall send an application to any one of the following five ministries: Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
2) The coordinating committee will choose one of the ministries to be the competent authority in charge of the proposed project and its support (hereinafter "competent authority").
3) The competent authority will review the application to determine whether it meets certain criteria, and inform the coordinating committee of the result.
4) The coordinating committee will decide whether or not to approve the project based on the result of the review.
5) If approved, the competent authority will issue an official letter of approval to the applicant. If not approved, a letter will be issued, indicating the reasons for not gaining approval.
6) The approval process will be conducted as quickly as possible, and a standard approval process turn around time will be set in due course.


http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/ondanka/2002/1016kaisi.html
http://www.env.go.jp/press/press.php3?serial=3669

Posted: 2002/11/29 06:07:40 AM
Japanese version