The Clean Development Mechanism and Sustainable Development: Comparative Analysis of Governance of CDM in China and Nigeria

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Citation: (2017) 4(1) Journal of Comparative Law in Africa 125
• Author: Oluwatoyin Adejonwo-Osho
• Date: 16 August 2019
• Pages: 125-144
• Published date: 16 August 2019

125

THE CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM

AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE

OF CDM IN CHINA AND NIGERIA

OLUWATOYIN ADEJONWO-OSHO*

Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria

Climate change is considered one of the most serious threats to humanity and

sustainable development. In response to this threat it has become necessary to

stabilise the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) by developed countries and

promote sustainable development, especially in developing countries to steer them

away from the path of unsustainable development travelled by developed countries.

Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol established the Clean Development Mechanism

(CDM) to promote sustainable development in developing countries. The current

CDM project pipeline indicates that countries in Asia and Latin America, such

as China, South Korea, India, Brazil and Mexico, currently dominate the CDM

project pipeline. They have been successful in supplying over 80% of global certified

emission reduction credits (CERs). However, Africa has not been so successful in

attracting CDM projects. For example, Nigeria is currently hosting seven out of

the 7 987 registered projects in the CDM project pipeline. Using desk-based

research and comparative analysis, this paper seeks to highlight the factors that

have contributed to the CDM success of countries such as China. In conclusion,

the paper advocates that Nigeria can use the CDM as a tool to institutionalise and

achieve sustainable development.

Résumé: Le changement climatique est considéré comme l’une des menaces les

plus graves pour l’humanité et le développement durable. En réponse à cette

menace, il a fallu stabiliser les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) par les

pays développés et promouvoir le développement durable, en particulier dans

les pays en développement, afin de les détourner de la voie de développement

non durable des pays développés. L’article 12 du Protocole de Kyoto a établi le

Mécanisme de développement propre (MDP) pour promouvoir le développement

durable dans les pays en développement. La direction actuelle du projet MDP

indique que les pays d’Asie et d’Amérique latine comme la Chine, l’Inde, le

Brésil, la Corée du Sud et le Mexique dominent actuellement la direction du projet

MDP. Ils ont réussi à fournir plus de 80% des crédits de réduction d’émissions

certifiés (CER). Cependant, l’Afrique n’a pas réussi à attirer des projets MDP.

Par exemple, le Nigeria accueille actuellement 7 des 7 987 projets enregistrés

dans la direction du projet MDP. À l’aide d’une recherche documentaire et d’une

* This article is based on the author’s PhD thesis submitted to the School of Law, University Of

Dundee, titled “Effective Fulfilment and Supervision of the Validation and Registration Requirements

for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Projects: A Missing Link in the Achievement of the

Sustainable Development Objective of the CDM”.

(2017) 4(1) Journal of Comparative Law in Africa 125

© Juta and Company (Pty) Ltd

126 JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE LAW IN AFRICA VOL 4, NO 1, 2017

analyse comparative, le présent document cherche à mettre en évidence les facteurs

qui ont contribué au succès du MDP de pays comme la Chine. En conclusion, le

document préconisera que le Nigéria puisse utiliser le MDP comme un véritable

outil d’institutionnalisation et de développement durable.

Keywords: climate change, Clean Development Mechanism, sustainable

development

Introduction

Climate change and sustainable development are linked and inseparable.1

Climate change is one of the key challenges to maintaining and achieving

sustainable development, especially in developing countries, and

sustainable development is one of the measures for addressing climate

change.2 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

defines climate change as

... change in the state of the climate that can be identified, (e.g. using

statistical tests), by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its

properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or

longer.3

Article 1(2) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as

change in climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity

that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition

to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.4

1 See: K Halsnaes et al. 2007. “Framing issues”. In B Metz et al (eds). Climate Change 2007:

Mitigation of Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press at 121; J Gupta and N Grijp.

2010. “Climate change, development and development cooperation”. In J Gupta and N Grijp

(eds). Mainstreaming Climate Change in Development Cooperation: Theory, Practice and Implications for the

European Union. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press at 16.

2 Halsnaes et al 2007 op cit note 1 at 121.

3 R Pachuri & A Reisinger (eds). 2007. Climate Change 2007: Synthetic Report Contributions

of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC at 30.

4 Reprinted in (1992) 31 ILM 849.

© Juta and Company (Pty) Ltd