Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (DFPCL) has launched a clean development mechanism (CDM) project at its manufacturing plant in Taloja. The project will address concerns on global warming, by reducing green house gas emission. The project will be implemented within six months. - Our Bureau

For better or worse, free-market environmentalism is gaining credence in the country. And the latest singing hosannas to the idea is one of India's largest conglomerates, the Tata group. It is putting into place a plan to measure its carbon footprint, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and figure out how much can the group possibly earn from carbon credits. Spearheading this initiative at the group is Tata Sons' director JJ Irani. Under him, a 10-member committee comprising top executives from various Tata group companies has been set up. Says Irani,

Global carbon trading has gained momentum. The Worldwatch Institute, drawing from various studies, places the total value of the trade in 2007 at $59.2 billion, an 80 per cent increase over 2006. As the 2012 deadline for reducing emission levels approaches, the volume of carbon trading will be enormous. Asian countries are the biggest sellers and western countries the biggest buyers. A World Bank report on the 2007 carbon market shows that China has a market share of 61 pe r cent and India 12 per cent.

This report presents a summary of what has been learnt through the third round of consultations, interviews and questionnaire surveys with policymakers and climate policy researchers across the Asia-Pacific region. It considers how sectoral approaches can be integrated in the future climate regime by looking at institutional and operational issues from an Asian perspective. It examines incentive structures and the political feasibility of selected proposals on technology cooperation.

Perhaps genetic engineering could help to increase the efficiency with which crops absorb nitrate from soil (5 January, p 28). However, the claim by Arcadia Biosciences that this will substantially cut agricultural emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide appears Utopian rather than Arcadian. (Letters)

The Bali meet offered the following to developing countries:

Adaptation Fund:

Market mechanisms are increasingly being considered as a tool for allocating somewhat scarce but unpriced rights and resources, such as air and water. Tradable permits have emerged as the most cost--effective measure leading to the emergence of both nationwide (SO2) and supranational (CO2) emission permits markets. By means of the dynamic optimization of companies which are covered by such environmental regulations, it develop an endogenous model for the emission permit spot price dynamics that account also for the presence of asymmetric information.

This report assesses the contribution of the CDM to meeting its environmental and sustainable development objectives and provides recommendations for improving the

This paper presents three case studies of Ukrainian Joint Implementation (JI) projects. The analysis is based on interviews with project stakeholders and public presentations of the case projects. The main questions in focus are: what are the typical JI projects in Ukraine?; what similarities and differences are there between the case projects?; how has the financing of the projects been arranged?; have they been implemented, and how long did it take to launch a project?; and have the same problems or barriers been experienced in all cases?

This handbook is based on the results an EU Asia Pro Eco co-funded project "CURB-AIR: CDM and urban air pollution: partnerships enhancing synergies in urban air and health in Kyoto mechanisms'. The CURB-AIR project intends to pave the way for projects that both improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases emissions. The handbook aims to be a guide for policymakers, civil servants and anyone who is interested in the issue of CDM, urban air pollution and climate change.

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