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In 1997, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) drafted the Kyoto Protocol in response to the scientific consensus that existed and exists today conerning the negative impact man-made emissions have on climate change.
Signatories of this commitment have agreed to stabilize the level of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to 5.2% below those in 1990 over the period of 2008-2012. These GHG's are measured in metric tonnes of CO2 or other equivalents such as HFC's, PFC's and N2O.
A Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a tool that has been developed by the UNFCCC to aid the signatories of the Kyoto Protocol in reaching their goals of green house gas emission reduction through projects that foster sustainable development in developing nations (Annex II). The projects must be environmentally sound renewable energy or energy efficiency projects whose financial viability, and thus existence, is due to the future sale of the Certified Emission Reductions (CER's). This condition is known as "additionality" and is a key factor in project approval from the UNFCCC's Executive Board.
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