Mainstreaming climate finance in energy efficiency and waste management sector
Student name: Ms Nishtha Khosla
Guide: Prof R L Sawhney
Year of completion: 2013
Host Organisation: SENES Consultants India Pvt. Ltd.
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Sumit Barat
Abstract: Climate change recently has become the top environmental priority on many Government agendas.
Concerns about the earth’s environmental balance have risen significantly with the record-high
temperatures experienced in the past few years. International, regional, and local policies and
mechanisms have been negotiated or are under discussion to pave the way for the stabilization of the
planet’s climate patterns. The most notable of all the accords, the Kyoto Protocol, entered into force
in February 2005, and its formal institutionalization cemented the international carbon market
foundations. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), one of the three flexibility mechanisms
established under the Protocol for achieving emission reductions, has received most of the world’s
attention when it comes to project-based GHG emission reductions solutions. Another type of
carbon credit most often used for setting off emissions is Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER).
These credits are preferred for their high social impact. The study aims at estimating:
a) The GHG emission reduction that will occur from Landfill Gas (LFG) Flaring at a sanitary
landfill site in Western corridor of Belize. In absence of CDM incentive the municipality
would have passively vented the LFG in atmosphere thereby resulting in anthropogenic
release of Methane, a potent Landfill Gas in the atmosphere and thus Global warming. Waste
from four municipalities i.e. Belize City, San Pedro, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker is
considered. Landfill site Mile 3 is under closure and another site Mile 24, is expected to
receive waste from June 2013. The composition of waste in Mile 24 is determined for wood
and wood products; paper, pulp and cardboard; food, food waste and beverages; textiles;
garden, yard and park waste for the year 2013 and projected till 2040. The GHG methane
produced by decomposition of organic waste at the site will be collected and flared. The
outcome of the project as average CERs for first crediting period has been calculated to be
18292tCO2 equivalent per annum reduction in emissions. Once the project is registered as
CDM, the Certified Emission Reduction (CER) benefit can be availed.
b) DMRC has incorporated various energy efficient devices in the metro stations constructed
under phase II of the Delhi Metro project. The electricity from Phase I of the project in the
year 2010 had been considered as baseline emissions. There is considerable amount of
reduction in power consumption in Phase II. Since in India Electricity is produced by
predominantly burning fossil fuel, reduction in electricity consumption results in reduction in
anthropogenic GHG in the atmosphere. The VERs generated for 2011 are 7484tCO2
equivalent and 6580tCO2 equivalent for 2012.
Keywords: CDM, VER, Landfill Gas, Metro
