UN recognized ICFRE as India’s First certification entity for Clean Development Mechanism

The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has become the first Designated Operational Entity (DOE) in India to be accredited by the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM EB) to validate and verify/certify Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the sectoral scope of ‘Afforestation and Reforestation’ (A/R).

The Clean Development Mechanism is a program under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which allows green house gas emission-reduction projects in developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. These

CER credits can be traded and sold, and used by industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. CDM projects can be developed in different sectors like energy, transport, forestry etc. In the forestry sector, afforestation and reforestation are the only activities permitted.

Background of ICFRE:

The ICFRE is an apex body in the national forestry research system. The Council deals with solution based forestry research in tune with the emerging issues of the sector, including climate change, conservation of biological diversity, combating desertification and sustainable management and development of resources. The

ICFRE applied for DOE status of UNFCCC on 17th July 2009 and received accreditation in February 2011 at the 59th meeting of the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism.

Significance of ICFRE becoming a DOE

Keeping in view the high cost involved in the formulation of Afforestation/Reforestation CDM projects in India, the success of ICFRE in getting the DOE status is of great importance. It is roughly estimated that developing an A/R CDM project with the existing methodology requires 60 lakh rupees. It is considered that if an organization like ICFRE becomes successful in getting the DOE status, the cost of A/R CDM project development will come down, and Indian project proponents will be in a better position to harness the benefit of CDM instruments. As of now, 19 A/R CDM projects have been registered globally, of which 3 are from India (Haryana project; ITC, Bhadrachalam project in AP; and, TIST project in TN).

The accreditation to the ICFRE is valid for a period of three years from the date of issuance and will allow the ICFRE to validate and verify/ certify CDM projects pertaining to afforestation and/or reforestation across the country. Globally CDM EB has accredited 17 DOEs for CDM Afforestation and Reforestation projects including ICFRE. Out of these 17 DOEs, only 3 are from developing countries (India, Korea and Colombia). The accreditation of ICFRE is certain to provide a fillip to CDM forestry projects in the country.