The independent high-level panel on the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was established to review past CDM experience and help ensure the readiness and positioning of the CDM to meet the challenges of the post-2012 period.
The objective of the policy dialogue is to make recommendations regarding how to best position the CDM to respond to future challenges and opportunities and ensure the effectiveness of the mechanism in contributing to future global climate action, based on a wide-ranging assessment of experience, benefits and shortcomings of the CDM and engagement with civil society, policymakers and market participants.
The main output has been a report released in September 2012. The report contains 51 specific recommendations on how to position the CDM for the future, including that the CDM should: substantially reform its operating procedures in order to address shortcomings and improve its reputation and future performance; and strengthen and restructure its governance to become a more accountable and efficient organisation. In formulating these recommendations, the panel commissioned an extensive research programme covering 22 topics across three main areas: the impact of the CDM to date; the governance and operations of the CDM; and the future context in which the CDM could operate.