Laying the foundations for clean development: preparing the land use sector - a quick guide to the Clean Development Mechanism

This booklet provides information to forestry and land-use audiences, principally in developing countries, who want to find out more about the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and how it affects their activities. The booklet:introduces the existing policy and regulatory framework of the CDMoffers guidance on the eligibility of different project activitieslays out what countries can do to prepare for CDM in the land-use sectorlooks to the future, providing insight into the wider implications and future developments of the CDM.The process of developing a CDM programme is outlined as follows:identify project and develop project concept notequantify greenhouse gas benefitsdevelop a Project Design Documenthost country approvalvalidation of the projectregistration with the CDMproject implementation and monitoringverification and certification.The uptake, storage and release of carbon by terrestrial vegetation look likely to have increasing economic implications over the coming decades. The institutions responsible for land use will therefore need to begin to integrate carbon considerations into the other objectives of land management.