Issuance process
At EB 54, the Executive Board adopted the Procedures for Requests of Issuance of CERs (Version 01) (EB 54, Annex 35) in accordance with decision 3/CMP.1, annex, paragraphs 19, 62-64 and 66 and decision 2/CMP.5, paragraph 37. The procedures outline:
• how a DOE is to submit a request for issuance of CERs;
• how the secretariat is to process a request for issuance;
• when a request for issuance will be published and received by the Executive Board for consideration; and
• how a request for issuance is considered.
Procedures for Submitting a Request for Issuance
The DOE shall submit the request for issuance of CERs only after it verifies the monitoring report and certifies the quantity CERs claimed in the monitoring report., which the DOE shall do so by following and meeting the requirements as outlined in the latest version of the "Clean Development Mechanism Validation and Verification Manual" and other CDM requirements which apply (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 5).
In conjunction with a request for issuance of CERs, the DOE must also electronically submit to the secretariat the required accompanying documentation, a list of which is provided in the latest applicable version of the completeness checklist for requests for issuance (which is published online by the secretariat on the UNFCCC CDM website) (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 6).
Procedures for Processing a Request for Issuance
The secretariat is responsible for processing requests for issuance of CERs submitted to it by DOEs.
The secretariat is to maintain a publicly available listing of all submitted requests for issuance, including a schedule setting out the expected dates of commencement in respect of the processing of each request.
Completeness check
Within 7 days of commencing the processing of a request for issuance, the secretariat is to conduct a completeness check to determine whether the request for issuance is complete and in accordance with the latest applicable version of the completeness checklist for requests for issuance (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 9).
Upon conclusion of the completeness check, the secretariat shall do the following:
• notify the project participant(s) (as identified in the Modalities of Communication form);
• notify the DOE of the result of the completeness check (such notification to provide underlying reasons for the result); and
• make the results of the completeness check publicly available by publication on the UNFCCC website (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 10).
Where the request for issuance does not meet the requirements of the completeness check, the DOE is allowed to submit revised documentation. Upon receipt of such revised documentation, the request for issuance is to be treated as a new submission of a request for issuance (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 10).
Information and reporting check
Where a request for issuance meets the requirements of the completeness check, within 23 calendar days, the secretariat will conduct an information and reporting check in accordance with the latest applicable version of the information and reporting checklist for requests for issuance (which is to be made publicly available by the secretariat on the UNFCCC website).
Upon conclusion of the information and reporting check, the secretariat shall do the following:
• notify the project participant(s) (as identified in the Modalities of Communication form);
• notify the DOE of the result of the completeness check (such notification to provide underlying reasons for the result); and
• make the results of the completeness check publicly available by publication on the UNFCCC website (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 112).
Where the request for issuance does not meet the requirements of the information and reporting check, the DOE is allowed to submit revised documentation. Upon receipt of such revised documentation, the request for issuance is to be treated as a new submission of a request for issuance (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 12).
Where a request for issuance meets the requirements of the information and reporting check, the secretariat is to publish the request for issuance on the UNFCCC website. At this time, the request for issuance is deemed to have been received by the Executive Board for consideration of the issuance. (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 13).
Post-information and reporting check
Upon conclusion of the information and reporting check, the secretariat shall notify the project participant(s) (as identified in the Modalities of Communication form), the DOE(s) of the parties involved and the DOE which submitted the request:
a. that the secretariat has proposed the request for issuance;
b. that the request for issuance has been received by the Executive Board for consideration of the issuance; and
c. of the last date by which the Executive Board or a party involved in the CDM project activity may request a review of the request for issuance (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 112).
This "last date" is prescribed in EB 54, Annex 35 as 28 days after the date of publication of the request for registration.
Review of a Request for Issuance
The procedures for requesting a review of a request for issuance are provided for in "Procedures for Requests for Issuance of CERs" (EB 54, Annex 35) and partly in "Procedure for Review of Requests for Issuance of CERs" (EB 55, Annex 41).
A party involved in the CDM project activity may make a request for a review of the request for issuance, such a request to be sent:
• by the appropriate DNA
• to the Executive Board;
• via the secretariat; and
• using the appropriate means of communication (Such as a recognised official letterhead and signature or an official dedicated email account) (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 16).
Where a member of the Executive Board wishes to make a request for a review of the request for issuance, such a request may be made by notifying the Executive Board through the secretariat (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 16).
Form of Request
A request for review shall contain the following:
i. The latest CDM project activity issuance review form (F-CDM-IR) adopted by the Executive Board; and
ii. Reasons for the request for review, based on the latest version of the "Clean Development Mechanism Validation and Verification Manual" and other CDM requirements, and any supporting documentation (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 19).
Processing of a Request for Review
Whether a request for review is initiated by a party involved or a member of the Executive Board,
i. the secretariat shall acknowledge the receipt of a request for review and promptly make it available to the Executive Board; and
ii. the request for review shall be considered to be received by the Executive Board on the date it was received by the secretariat (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraphs 17-18).
A request for review will not be considered by the Executive Board if it is received after 17:00 GMT on the last day of the 28 day period following the publication of the request for issuance (see above).
Furthermore, if a request for a review of the request of issuance is initiated by a party involved in the CDM project activity or at least three Executive Board members, the secretariat shall:
i. notify the project participants and the DOE that conducted the verification that a party involved in the CDM project activity or at least three Executive Board members have requested a review of the request of issuance; and
ii. mark the request for issuance as "under review" on the UNFCCC CDM website (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 20).
The new procedures set out in "Procedure for Review of Requests for Issuance of CERs" (EB 55, Annex 41) supplementarily clarify that where such a request for issuance is initiated, the secretariat shall:
(a) Notify the project participants, as identified in the Modalities of Communication form, and the DOE that verified and certified the claimed CERs that a Party involved in a proposed CDM project activity or at least three Executive Board members have requested a review of the request for issuance;
(b) Make publicly available an anonymous version of each request for review form;
(c) Assign a team comprising two experts from the Registration and Issuance Team ("RIT Team") to participate in the assessment of the request for review. The secretariat shall appoint one of the assigned Team members to serve as the lead, who shall be responsible for all communications with the secretariat (EB 54, Annex 41, paragraph 7).
Finalising a Request for Issuance
Where there is no request for a review of the request for issuance either from a party involved in the CDM project activity or at least three members of the Executive Board, the request for issuance will be deemed finalised. The Executive Board shall then instruct the CDM registry administrator to issue the appropriate volume of CERs:
The Executive Board shall instruct the CDM registry administrator to issue a specified quantity of CERs into the pending account of the Executive Board of the CDM registry, in accordance with decision 3/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 66 (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 22).
The Executive Board's instructions to the CDM registry administrator are to be communicated to the project participant(s), as identified in the Modalities of Communications form. The instructions are to be made publicly available on the UNFCCC website by the secretariat (EB 54, Annex 35, paragraph 23).