CDM Executive Board Decision Framwork

At the 47th meeting of the Executive Board, the Board adopted a decision framework defining the relationship between decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties and decisions of the Executive Board. The CDM Executive Board Decision Framework: Decision Hierarchy and Definitions is found at Annex 61 to EB 47.

Decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties are described as follows:

This body has authority over, and provides guidance to, the Board through the adoption of decisions and resolutions, published in reports of the CMP. The decisions of the CMP outline formal expectations with respect to the CDM. They set direction and establish precedents which serve as a reference for future decision making and basis for operating procedures. CMP decisions are treated as directives - mandatory requirements or rules intended to ensure the successful implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. All decisions taken by the Board must be consistent with and not contradict decisions of the CMP (EB 47, Annex 61, paragraph 2).

The role of the Executive Board and its decisions in relation to CMP decisions is described as follows:

The Board supervises the CDM under the authority and guidance of the CMP, and is fully accountable to the CMP. The Board has authority over, and provides guidance to, the business activities and processes of the CDM. Decisions of the Board must be consistent with and support the formal decisions of the CMP. Decisions of the Board are hierarchical in nature and are published in the reports and report annexes of the Board (EB 47, Annex 61, paragraph 3).

The Decision Framework also outlines the types of decisions which may be issued by the Executive Board: decisions of an operational nature; decisions of a regulatory nature; and rulings (EB 47, Annex 61, paragraph 3).

Decisions of an operational or administrative nature relate to the successful running of the Board. Decisions of this nature are published in meeting reports or as annexes to meeting reports of the Board. Operational decisions include:

[M]eeting agendas and reports; calendar of meetings; attendance by observers at meetings; the management of documentation of the Board and/or project activity cycle; finance and administration (management action plan, fee payments, etc); work programmes and priorities; establishment of panels, working groups, rosters of experts, committees and/or other subsidiary bodies; liaison with other bodies; calls for input; commissioning of technical reports; recommending and reporting to the CMP on the running of the Board and its programmes of work; information notes and other matters of an operational or administrative nature.

Decisions of a regulatory nature are decisions intended to ensure effective implementation of the CDM modalities and procedures. The types of decisions which are decisions of a regulatory nature are listed below.

Standards:

Standards describe mandatory levels or degrees of attainment or performance, and as such, are used as reference points against which attainment and performance can be evaluated. Standards are designed to achieve a uniform approach to compliance with decisions from the CMP relating to the CDM project activity cycle, including approved methodologies with their associated tools (EB 47, Annex 61, paragraph 5).

Procedures:

Procedures contain mandatory series of actions (how to) that must be undertaken to satisfy specific requirements of the CDM modalities and procedures. Procedures are written to ensure that project participants and designated operational entities (DOEs) satisfy requirements in an agreed, uniform and consistent way, producing an effective outcome.

Guidelines:

Guidelines contain supplemental information such as acceptable methods for satisfying requirements described in procedures or standards.

Clarifications:

Clarifications are issued to alleviate confusion that has arisen relating to a standard or procedure.

The Board also publishes rulings, as annexes to Board meeting reports, relating to the observance of the CDM modalities and procedures. There are several types of rulings, listed below.

Accrediting operational entities, which includes:

rulings resulting in recommendations to the CMP for the designation of operational entities such as: accrediting and provisionally designating entities for section specific validation/certification functions; rulings relating to outcomes and recommendations of the CDM-AP on spot-checks.

Approving methodologies, which includes:

rulings relating to requests for approval of methodologies; requests for clarifications to approved methodologies and/or tools; requests for revisions to approved methodologies; requests for consolidation of methodologies, requests for deviations to approved methodologies.

Registering project activities, which includes:

rulings relating to the registration of CDM project activities, such as requests for review; projects under review; projects to be registered with corrections following consideration of a request for review or after a review; requests for review for renewal of the crediting period; projects under review for renewal of a crediting period.

Issuing certified emissions reduction units, which includes:

rulings relating to the issuance of certified emission reduction units and the CDM registry, such as requests for review; projects under review; issuance of CERs with corrections following consideration of a request for review or after a review; requests for deviations; requests for revisions of monitoring plan.

DIAGRAM I: CLASSIFICATION OF DECISIONS