JQA moves forward with a missionof Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Reduction
Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) inaugurated its CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) Department on August 1, 2002. The department submitted an application to the CDM executive board with the aim to become an Operational Entity (OE), an auditing organization that assesses CDM projects. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been spotlighted in the global market as one of the Kyoto Mechanisms prescribed in the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. This is one of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction schemes utilizing the market mechanism.
CDM is a system with which an industrialized country having set quantitative targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction provides technology and funds to create a project which reduces GHG emissions in a developing country, which does not have set quantitative targets, and claims credits for the emissions through the emissions reduction achieved by the project. In this way, developed countries could meet their set quantitative targets and could also contribute in assisting the developing countries' sustainable development.
This CDM project is evaluated before its implementation (Validation) by DOE (Designated Operational Entity). After the implementation of the project, DOE verifies the project participants' monitoring reports and the reductions of the anthropogenic emissions, and provides certification based on the verification (Verification/Certification).
In January 2003, JQA was selected as OE to assess a model CDM project, a modification of a thermal power plant in Thailand, led by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. In this CDM project, JQA will conduct Validation including site-audit and will make a validation report after the assessment.
It is our strong hope that JQA be designated as Operational Entity (OE) and could make contributions to the prevention of global warming by conducting CDM project "validation" and "verification/certification" operations, as a neutral, impartial third-party organization representing Japan as a member of the International Certification Network (IQNet), an association of the world's first class certification bodies. Our large experience in the ISO assessments, environmental assessments including overseas on-the-spot inspections, technology transfer of environmental measurement and analytical techniques would no doubt bring out high capabilities to operate as an OE for CDM projects.
Yoshikazu Kameyama
Director General for International Affairs
JQA - Japan Quality Assurance Organization
y-kameyama@jqa-iso.com
Certified Emission Reduction (CER)
The credit for emissions reduction achieved by a CDM project should be approved by the CDM executive board upon verification/certification by a DOE.
Project Design Document (PDD)
The CDM project design document prepared by the project participants in line with requirements presented in the Marrakesh Accords (17/CP.7), and by the CDM executive board.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Gas in the atmosphere which will cause greenhouse effect. This includes six gases: Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorinated carbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
Kyoto Protocol
An agreement concerning greenhouse gas emissions reached at the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Kyoto in December 1997, that legally binds the developed countries to specified CO2 emissions levels for each country.
Kyoto Mechanisms
These are three mechanisms using market principles to achieve quantitative targets as prescribed in the Kyoto Protocol: The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI), and International Emissions Trading (IET).