HEDON message for the climate meeting in Nairobi - act now!

Contributed by Grant Ballard-Tremeer
03 November 2006

Act now to ensure that stove projects are eligible for climate funding: message from the HEDON Cooking and Carbon Special Interest Group (CarbonSIG) to be distributed to delegates to the Nairobi climate meeting, November 2006

Participants in the HEDON Cooking and Carbon Special Interest Group (CarbonSIG) are concerned about a number of factors under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which make it virtually impossible for household energy-related projects to receive funding via the mechanism. The CarbonSIG has been discussing messages which could be distributed by each of us to delegates and Designated National Authorities dealing with the Kyoto Protocol and UNFCCC.

We have prepared into a short message for you to use in your lobby of local stakeholders. The message has been placed in various formats online here.

Since time is short (the COP12-MOP2 meeting will be held in Nairobi from 6 to 17 November 2006), we suggest the following actions:

  1. Make the message more context-specific with a case study explaining how this constraint affects your own particular country of interest.
  2. Contact the Designated National Authority for your country with this message – particularly if you know that person.
  3. Otherwise the person for each country can be found on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change website, click on Annex 1 or Non-annex 1, and choose the country.

Please distribute this message to any others that may be interested.

The Message


Text version

To the delegates to the second meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2), and the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 12), to be held in Nairobi from 6 to 17 November 2006,

From the HEDON Household Energy Network* (www.hedon.info)

The substitution of traditionally burnt solid fuels by improved combustion devices and/or cleaner liquid, gaseous or upgraded solid fuels can yield climate change mitigation benefits and significant health benefits

The traditional burning of biomass and coal results in net carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Currently, projects involving non-renewable biomass are excluded from the CDM process, preventing many projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from accessing CDM funding.

To mitigate these negative impacts, the HEDON Household Energy Network calls upon the COP/MOP to give a clear signal to the CDM Executive Board to approve methodologies that allow such projects to participate on a level playing field with other CDM energy projects. Priority actions should include the development of simplified methodologies and lower transaction costs for:
  • Determining a realistic baseline scenario for greenhouse gases occurring in the absence of the proposed CDM project.
  • Calculating emission reductions for small-scale projects switching from non-renewable to renewable biomass, or to fuels or technologies with lower emissions.
  • Supporting projects that improve the overall energy efficiency in the use of non-renewable fuels.
  • Amending the limits for small-scale projects to account for the limited daily use of appliances like cooking stoves.
  • Providing required evidence that non-CO2 gases and other health-damaging combustion products are not increased due to the project.

Such projects could substantially reduce emissions, promote a wider geographical distribution of CDM projects, improve living conditions in poor communities, protect natural resources, and enhance sustainable development.

*Note to readers:

The HEDON Household Energy Network is a long-established and well-respected grassroots organization of over 700 household energy practitioners from 90 countries, the majority of whom are based in the South. Established in 1992, this informal knowledge based network aims to bring together all the key players in household energy to create a powerful tool for change. HEDON’s Cooking and Carbon Special Interest Group (CarbonSIG) was established earlier this year, and connects all those engaged in greenhouse gas emission reduction, carbon sequestration, and climate adaptation who are working to create a sustainable environment that benefits those living in poverty through information, discussion and action around improved household energy. CarbonSIG has already attracted 60 participants, with leading representatives from universities and research organisations (from 7 institutes), governments (3), private companies (9), NGOs (8), and the voluntary carbon sector (4).

For more information see: