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UN approval of greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in developing countries: The political economy of the CDM Executive Board

Author

Listed:
  • Flues, Florens
  • Michaelowa, Axel
  • Michaelowa, Katharina

Abstract

The approval of methodologies and individual projects in the context of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is often an issue of national interest. Decisions of the CDM Executive Board (EB) can thus be expected to be highly politicized. Based on data for about 250 methodologies and about 1000 projects discussed by the EB so far, this paper provides a first econometric analysis of this hypothesis. The results suggest that indeed, along with formal quality criteria, political-economic variables determine the final EB decision. This is most clearly the case for decisions on CDM projects which are far less transparent than those on CDM methodologies. In particular, EB membership of the country or countries concerned raises the chances of a project to be approved. Moreover, clearly, with rising numbers of methodologies and projects, EB decision making has become stricter over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Flues, Florens & Michaelowa, Axel & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2008. "UN approval of greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in developing countries: The political economy of the CDM Executive Board," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Zurich 2008 12, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:gdec08:12
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/39896/1/AEL_2008_12_flues.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert K. Fleck & Christopher Kilby, 2006. "World Bank Independence: A Model and Statistical Analysis of US Influence," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(2), pages 224-240, May.
    2. World Bank, 2006. "World Development Indicators 2006," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 8151, December.
    3. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong-Wha, 2005. "IMF programs: Who is chosen and what are the effects?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(7), pages 1245-1269, October.
    4. Michaelowa, Axel & Michaelowa, Katharina, 2005. "Climate or development: Is ODA diverted from its original purpose?," HWWI Research Papers 4-2, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Ashish Aggarwal, 2014. "How sustainable are forestry clean development mechanism projects?—A review of the selected projects from India," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 73-91, January.
    2. Philip Fearnside, 2015. "Tropical hydropower in the clean development mechanism: Brazil’s Santo Antônio Dam as an example of the need for change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 131(4), pages 575-589, August.
    3. Peter Newell, 2012. "The political economy of carbon markets: The CDM and other stories," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 135-139, January.
    4. Millard-Ball, Adam & Ortolano, Leonard, 2010. "Constructing carbon offsets: The obstacles to quantifying emission reductions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 533-546, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    International climate policy; CDM; political economy; rational choice; international organization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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