TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH,

The Kyoto Protocol’s joint implementation (JI) mechanism has accredited its first third party verifier, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH, whose job is to determine the acceptability of emission reduction projects and verify emission reductions achieved.

Under JI, greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in countries with an emission
reduction or limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol can generate saleable emission
reduction units (ERUs), each equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. Countries can purchase
and surrender ERUs to meet a part of their commitment under the Protocol.

To date, 170 projects in 12 countries have been submitted for public comment, the first
step in the vetting process before projects undergo “determination” by an accredited entity underso-called JI Track 2. These 170 projects are expected to achieve around 300 million tonnes of emission reductions by the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.

The mechanism is supervised by the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee (JISC),
which just concluded its 14th meeting. Members of the JISC are nominated by their home region
or constituency and serve in their private capacity. The work of the committee is supported by
the UNFCCC secretariat.

Six projects have already been accepted by the JISC, and one project, in Ukraine, has
already had its emission reductions verified. The vetting of those projects was done by
independent verifiers acting provisionally as “accredited independent entities”. Official
accreditation of TÜV SÜD Industrie Service, which verified the emission reductions of the Ukraine

project, means that the ERUs can now be issued and traded. The project makes use of coal
mine methane to produce electricity, instead of venting the gas into the atmosphere, it is
expected to generate 1,177,905 ERUs annually.

At the meeting, the JISC's first of 2009, the committee elected Derrick Oderson as Chair
and Vlad Trusca as Vice-Chair.

• Appendix A of the JI guidelines defines standards and procedures for the accreditation of independent entities.
• According to paragraphs 3 (b) and (c) of the JI guidelines the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee (JISC) shall be responsible for the "accreditation of independent entities in accordance with standards and procedures contained in appendix A", as well as the "review of standards and procedures for the accreditation of independent entities in appendix A... , giving consideration to relevant work of the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism (CDM) and, as appropriate, making recommendations to the CMP on revisions to these standards and procedures".

• In Decision 10/CMP.1 the CMP requested the JISC in paragraphs 2 (b) and (c) to "further elaborate, as a priority, standards and procedures for the accreditation of independent entities, consistent with appendix A of the guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol, taking into consideration, as appropriate, the procedures for accrediting operational entities developed by the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism", and to "accredit independent entities in accordance with the standards and procedures for the accreditation of independent entities as contained in appendix A of the guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol".

• Moreover, the CMP specified in paragraph 3 of Decision 10/CMP.1: "(a) Designated operational entities under the clean development mechanism may act provisionally as accredited independent entities under Article 6 until the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee has approved its procedures for accreditation; (b) Those designated operational entities that apply for accreditation under the approved procedures for accreditation may continue to act provisionally as accredited independent entities until a final accreditation decision is taken; (c) The determinations and relevant activities undertaken under these provisions shall be valid only after the accreditation of the independent entity is finalized". A list of designated operational entities under the CDM is accessible on the UNFCCC CDM website.

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