Michael Grubb, UK Carbon Trust, reviewed the UK’s long term effort to reduce emissions by 60%. He highlighted success since 1990 in reducing emissions, increasing carbon intensity, removing the protection of old energy, diversifying energy supply, instituting a climate change levy and introducing some new technologies. He noted that targets require systems such as cap-and-trade to make carbon-saving technology bankable. He stated that national policies are needed for start-ups, field-trial technologies and to build at the industrial scale. Noting the primary role of private sector multinational investment, he said innovation and diffusion require deepening low carbon polices in industrialized countries, spreading policy best practice, and streamlining diffusion mechanisms like the CDM.

Daniel Gagnier, ALCAN, reviewed his company’s efforts to reduce emissions and increase productivity between 2001 and 2004 including steps to: develop a better mix of energy sources; invest in low carbon technologies; and manage emissions generated through the entire product life cycle. He highlighted the importance of good science, rational economics, and improving the CDM.

Xuedu Lu, CDM EB, highlighted ADB’s role in capacity building for CDM projects in China. Rajesh Kumar Sethi, CDM EB, emphasized some of the CDM related activities in India and the role played by designated national authority in facilitating CDM.

Wei Zhihong, Tsingshua University, highlighted some of the PREGA activities in China, and noted the need to expedite CDM activities.

Chayun Budiono, PT Chazaro Gerbang International, outlined projects relating to utilization of biomass wastes in the wood based industry.

Jivan Acharya, Winrock International, noted a number of projects under PREGA, such as biogas, trolleybus, and a Solar Tuki that replaces a Bull’s trench kiln with a vertical shaft kiln.

Manfred Treber, Germanwatch, highlighted the Index’s two quantitative components: domestic aggregate values and sectors where carbon dioxide emissions arise from, inter alia, energy transformation, transport, buildings and manufacturing. He explained that its qualitative component comprises expert knowledge on domestic politics and behavior in international diplomacy.

Jan Burck, Germanwatch, provided an overview on how the Index was created stressing that it: includes only energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, not LULUCF; weighs quantitative measures as 80% and qualitative as 20%; and that the energy sector received double the weight in sectoral performance. Treber then presented the Index’s final rankings.

Discussions included: whether countries’ performance will remain fixed on the scale; countries’ response to the Index; accounting for import and export emissions; and exclusion of the land use sector.

Ash Sharma, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, described the purpose, key features and portfolio criteria of the TGF. He gave examples of projects being negotiated and explained that TGF’s success will depend on: focusing on closing project negotiations; cultivating a project pipeline; raising capital; and cooperating and communicating with stakeholders in the region.

Torleif Haugland, ECON, presented the TGF Handbook, which examines baseline and baseline methodologies, and detailed the JI requirements and project cycle. Among issues for consideration, he mentioned JI transaction costs, and project, market and policy risks.

Eveline Trines, General Surveillance Society (SGS), gave an overview of certifying the avoidance of deforestation claimed by this project, and underscored the difficulty of evaluating the parameters associated with assessing carbon storage.

Policy panel: Gisela Uloa Varga, Bolivia, said political, rather than technical, barriers exist in obtaining credit for carbon offsets from the avoidance of deforestation.

Adrian Fernandez, Mexico, noted that the Project demonstrates that multiple local benefits can be delivered while pursuing global objectives.

Darren Goetze, Canada, called for increasing funding in forest conservation and giving locals a stake in CDM forest projects.

Thelma Krug, Brazil, stated that methodological issues associated with baseline establishment and leakage determination make it premature to include credits for deforestation avoidance under Kyoto.

Wari Lea Iamo, Papua New Guinea, highlighted the objectives of the newly formed Coalition for Rainforest Nations, including decreasing emissions linked to deforestation.