1. Standardized baselines
Courtney Blodgett
Joint Coordination Workshop, Bonn
24 March 2012

2. Agenda
Implementation of the standardized baselines (SBL) guidelines and procedures
Barriers & challenges faced
Development options
Data
Quality assurance/ Quality control (QA/QC) procedures
Other

3. Standardized baseline development
Two methods of SBL development
Top down (UNFCCC)
Bottom up (Parties, project participants, international industry organizations or admitted observer organizations, via a Designated National Authority [DNA])
Top down
COP 16: Requests the Executive Board to develop SBL… prioritizing methodologies that are applicable to least developed countries [LDCs], small island developing States [SIDS], Parties with 10 or fewer registered clean development mechanism project activities as of 31 December 2010 and underrepresented project activity types or regions, inter alia, for energy generation in isolate systems, transport and agriculture
Most appropriate sectors?
New UNFCCC project: power, improved cookstoves, and possibly another global sector - completed prior to COP 18
Bottom up
Very complicated for DNAs with limited capacity

4. Data Availability Quality
Lack of data available to calculate thresholds, default factors, etc., especially in LDCs/SIDs
Results in use of conservative parameters, especially in LDCs/ SIDs, which could make projects not feasible
If data does exist, it is often difficult or expensive to attain
e.g. The Cement Sustainability Initiative has data but charges for its use
Quality
Data may be available but of varying quality
e.g. Data needed to calculate the fraction of non-renewable biomass is available in the FAO Forest Resource Assessment database but many methods are used to calculate values, data is from very different years, there are some data gaps, etc.

5. Quality assurance / quality control guidelines
Guidelines for quality assurance and quality control of data used in the establishment of standardized baselines
Approved at EB 66
Very burdensome for Designated National Authorities, particularly those with limited capacity
May make DNAs hesitate to propose or approve SBLs
DNAs must approve SBLs prior to them being proposed by a third party

6. Other challenges Additionality Implementation timing
Benchmark determined without proper consideration could result in allowing through non-additional projects
Benchmarks could be very stringent resulting in the prevention of projects from being approved
Implementation timing
Will relevant methodologies be withdrawn if a SBL is approved? If so, what are the procedures for this?
Stakeholder involvement
Significant decisions on SBLs are made at EB meetings
What level of stakeholder involvement will be allowed?

7. Thank you. Courtney Blodgett Blodgett@perspectives
Thank you! Courtney Blodgett +49 (0)