IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v54y2013icp173-183.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The risks of CDM projects: How did only 30% of expected credits come through?

Author

Listed:
  • Cormier, Alain
  • Bellassen, Valentin

Abstract

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), launched in 2001, has attracted more than 7000 projects. Many, however, did not fully deliver the emissions reductions promised in their project design documents: out of 1.8 billion of expected Certified Emissions Reductions (CER) by April 1, 2011, only 576 million had been issued. This study classifies the risks incurred by CDM projects, attributes a share of the non-delivered CER to each risk, and identifies the most influential factors driving each risk. 29% of expected CER will never be issued due to failure of projects (negative validation, project withdrawn, …), 12% were not issued on time due to delays during the approval process (validation and registration), 27% were not issued on time due to delays at issuance, and only 1% will never be issued due to underperformance of projects in terms of CER delivered per day. Technology is identified as a key driver for all these risks: some technologies are less risky than others. Time is mainly influencing approval process and issuance delay. Other factors such as location, size of the project, auditor or consultant are occasionally important, but not for each risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Cormier, Alain & Bellassen, Valentin, 2013. "The risks of CDM projects: How did only 30% of expected credits come through?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 173-183.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:54:y:2013:i:c:p:173-183
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.11.016
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421512009810
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.11.016?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michaelowa, Axel, 2005. "CDM: Current status and possibilities for reform," HWWI Research Papers 4-3, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).
    2. Jung, Martina, 2006. "Host country attractiveness for CDM non-sink projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(15), pages 2173-2184, October.
    3. Dinar, Ariel & Mahfuzur Rahman, Shaikh & Larson, Donald & Ambrosi, Philippe, 2008. "Factors Affecting Levels Of International Cooperation In Carbon Abatement Projects," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4786, The World Bank.
    4. Teichmann, Dorothee, 2011. "The role of public-private partnerships in local infrastructure : the case of carbon offset projects," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/8201 edited by Lorenzi, Jean-Hervé.
    5. Michaelowa, Axel & Jotzo, Frank, 2005. "Transaction costs, institutional rigidities and the size of the clean development mechanism," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 511-523, March.
    6. Robert Oleschak & Urs Springer, 2007. "Measuring host country risk in CDM and JI projects: a composite indicator," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(6), pages 470-487, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Saint-Cyr, Legrand D.F. & Védrine, Lionel & Legras, Sophie & Le Gallo, Julie & Bellassen, Valentin, 2023. "Drivers of PES effectiveness: Some evidence from a quantitative meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    2. Jin Guo & Hanqiao Yang, 2022. "CDMs’ effect on environmentally sensitive productivity: evidence from Chinese provinces," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 401-422, December.
    3. Koo, Bonsang, 2017. "Examining the impacts of Feed-in-Tariff and the Clean Development Mechanism on Korea's renewable energy projects through comparative investment analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 144-154.
    4. Jongmin Yu & Mindy L. Mallory, 2020. "Carbon price interaction between allocated permits and generated offsets," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 671-700, June.
    5. Matthew A. Cole & David J. Maddison & Liyun Zhang, 2020. "Testing the emission reduction claims of CDM projects using the Benford’s Law," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 407-426, June.
    6. Carmichael, David G. & Ballouz, Joseph J. & Balatbat, Maria C.A., 2015. "Improving the attractiveness of CDM projects through allowing and incorporating options," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 784-791.
    7. Dumisani Chirambo, 2014. "The Climate Finance and Energy Investment Dilemma in Africa," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 30(4), pages 415-440, December.
    8. Antônio Carlos Pacagnella Júnior & Henrique Luiz da Silva & Wagner Wilson Bortoletto & Paulo Sergio de Arruda Ignacio, 2023. "Financial and environmental efficiency of CDM projects: Analysis and classification for investment decisions," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 926-941, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Emma Paulsson, 2009. "A review of the CDM literature: from fine-tuning to critical scrutiny?," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 63-80, February.
    2. Nives Dolšak & Emily Crandall, 2013. "Do we know each other? Bilateral ties and the location of clean development mechanism projects," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 521-536, June.
    3. Hultman, Nathan E. & Pulver, Simone & Guimarães, Leticia & Deshmukh, Ranjit & Kane, Jennifer, 2012. "Carbon market risks and rewards: Firm perceptions of CDM investment decisions in Brazil and India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 90-102.
    4. Röttgers, Dirk & Grote, Ulrike, 2014. "Africa and the Clean Development Mechanism: What Determines Project Investments?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 201-212.
    5. Carmichael, David G. & Ballouz, Joseph J. & Balatbat, Maria C.A., 2015. "Improving the attractiveness of CDM projects through allowing and incorporating options," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 784-791.
    6. Winkelman, Andrew G. & Moore, Michael R., 2011. "Explaining the differential distribution of Clean Development Mechanism projects across host countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1132-1143, March.
    7. Selvaretnam, Geethanjali & Thampanishvong, Kannika, 2010. "Future of the Clean Development Mechanism in Tackling Climate Change," SIRE Discussion Papers 2010-35, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    8. Igor Shishlov & Valentin Bellassen, 2012. "10 lessons from 10 years of the CDM," Working Papers hal-01151437, HAL.
    9. Schneider, Malte & Holzer, Andreas & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2008. "Understanding the CDM's contribution to technology transfer," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 2920-2928, August.
    10. Satoguina, Honorat, 2006. "Analysis of CDM experience in Morocco and lessons learnt for West African Economic and Monetary Union. Case study: Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger and Togo," HWWA Discussion Papers 354, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    11. Karakosta, Charikleia & Doukas, Haris & John, Psarras, 2010. "EU-MENA energy technology transfer under the CDM: Israel as a frontrunner?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 2455-2462, May.
    12. Stua, Michele, 2013. "Evidence of the clean development mechanism impact on the Chinese electric power system's low-carbon transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1309-1319.
    13. Stankeviciute, Loreta & Kitous, Alban & Criqui, Patrick, 2008. "The fundamentals of the future international emissions trading system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4272-4286, November.
    14. Marta Santagata & Enrico Ivaldi & Riccardo Soliani, 2019. "Development and Governance in the Ex-Soviet Union: An Empirical Inquiry," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 157-190, January.
    15. U. Kalpagam & Karimullah, 2007. "India's Business Prospects in the Global Emissions Market," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 8(2), pages 237-250, December.
    16. Watts, David & Albornoz, Constanza & Watson, Andrea, 2015. "Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) after the first commitment period: Assessment of the world׳s portfolio and the role of Latin America," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1176-1189.
    17. Axel Michaelowa & Katharina Michaelowa, 2011. "Climate business for poverty reduction? The role of the World Bank," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 259-286, September.
    18. Nhan Thanh Nguyen & Minh Ha-Duong & Sandra Greiner & Michael Mehling, 2011. "Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism in Vietnam: potential and limitations," Post-Print halshs-00654294, HAL.
    19. Mele, Antonio & Paglialunga, Elena & Sforna, Giorgia, 2021. "Climate cooperation from Kyoto to Paris: What can be learnt from the CDM experience?," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    20. Christoph Böhringer & Thomas Rutherford & Marco Springmann, 2015. "Clean-Development Investments: An Incentive-Compatible CGE Modelling Framework," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 60(4), pages 633-651, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    CDM; Risk; Carbon;
    All these keywords.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:54:y:2013:i:c:p:173-183. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.