07/09/2005 - The FIFA Green
Goal programme has announced its intentions
today to offset carbon emissions from next
year’s FIFA World Cup in Germany through Gold
Standard projects. The ongoing search for
projects has resulted in the selection of
a biogas project based in a tsunami-affected
region of Southeast India. A few days prior
to this, the CDM Executive board registered
the Kuyasa community housing project in South
Africa as the first CDM Gold Standard project.
The Gold Standard project presented at the
press conference was developed by the Indian
organisation WSD (Women for Sustainable Development)
and provides a source of energy using micro-scale
biogas units. The project will offset a third
of a total of around 100’000 tons of CO2 emissions
associated with next year’s FIFA World Cup
in Germany as well as provide income, shelter
and access to clean energy in a tsunami-affected
area. “It was truly important for us that
the project supported would not only reduce
emissions but also support an area affected
by the tsunami”, says Horst R. Schmidt, First
Vice President of the Organisation Committee
(OC). Further projects are currently being
sought for the offset programme. The Green
Goal initiative requires projects seeking
The Gold Standard validation.
Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien, Managing Director
of BASE, negotiated the transaction on behalf
of WSD and will assist the OC in sourcing
further projects. She explains that, “the
development and poverty alleviation benefits
of the project were crucial for its selection.
What we need now are more projects with Gold
Standard potential.”
In light of the increased demand for Gold
Standard credits, the CDM Executive Board
registration of the first Gold Standard project
is an important milestone. The Kuyasa low-income
housing energy upgrade project was developed
by SouthSouthNorth (SSN) and Cape Town City
Council, and registered on August 29th, 2005.
“The registration of Kuyasa represents a positive
confirmation that there is a currency in doing
work at the nexus of climate change and poverty
alleviation, and that the CDM can be an effective
tool in the delivery of sustainable development”,
says Stef Raubenheimer, CEO of SSN.
“The FIFA transaction and the registration
of Kuyasa show that the Gold Standard both
works and is attractive for buyers”, says
Michael Schlup, Director of The Gold Standard.
“We are seeing a substantial demand for these
credits from other initiatives”, says Schlup,
“and there are interesting opportunities for
developers who can deliver sustainability
benefits”. Schlup underlines that the prevalence
of sustainable energy projects delivering
sound benefits for the local population is
essential if the CDM is to successfully deliver
sustainable development.
The Gold Standard, originally initiated by
WWF, the Climate Action Network (CAN) and
Helio International, is the only market-ready
tool for carbon buyers seeking high quality
certificates that has broad backing from NGOs
and other stakeholders*. Integrated into the
CDM and JI project cycle, it uses established
screening methodologies to strengthen the
environmental integrity of the flexible mechanisms
without substantially elevating transaction
costs. Gold Standard credits mean less risk
for investors and fair carbon prices for project
developers, whilst directly supporting sustainable
development strategies in host
Press release FIFA Football World Cup OC attached
(in German)
* Currently, these organisations are official
Gold Standard supporters:
Appropriate Technology Association (ATA)
(Thailand) Atmosfair (Germany) Bangladesh
Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) (Bangladesh)
BASE (UNEP Collaborating Centre) (Switzerland)
Carbon Watch (India) CASA (Japan) CDM Forum
(Indonesia) Climate Action Network South Africa
(SACAN) (South Africa) Development Alternatives
(India) Dhammanart Foundation e5 - Europe
Business Council for Sustainable Energy Germanwatch
(Germany) Greenpeace International Clean Energy
Nepal (Nepal) David Suzuki Foundation (Canada)
Fundacion Ecologia y Desarrollo (Spain) Helio
International (France) Indonesia Climate Action
Network (ICAN) (Indonesia) Indonesia Forum
for Environment (WALHI) (Indonesia) IT Power
India Private Ltd. (India) KIKO Network (Japan)
King Mahendra Trust For Nature Conservation
(Nepal) KLIMA – Manila Observatory (Philippines)
Miriam PEACE (Philippines) Pelangi (Indonesia)
Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development
(Canada) Philippine Network on Climate Change
(Philippines) Philippine Solar Energy Society
(Philippines) REEEP (Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Partnership) Sibol ng Agham
at Teknolohiya (Philippines) SouthSouthNorth
(SSN) Winrock International – India (India)
Winrock International – Nepal (Nepal) WWF
International
Informal support was expressed by both business
and government organisations.
The Gold Standard receives financial support
from REEEP and Danida
