Requirements for CPAs

A Programme of Activities is made up of CDM Programme Activities (CPAs). Whilst the current Procedures for registration of a programme of activities as a single CDM project activity and issuance of certified emission reductions for a programme of activities (EB 47, Annex 29) do not provide a definition of CPA, a definition is provided in the previous guidance found in EB 32, Annex 38:

A CDM programme activity [is] a project activity under a programme of activities. A CPA is a single, or a set of interrelated measure(s), to reduce GHG emissions or result in net anthropogenic greenhouse gas removals by sinks, applied within a designated area defined in the baseline methodology (EB 32, Annex 38, page 1).

EB32, Annex 38 also provided that CPAs must be uniquely identified:

Each CPA shall be uniquely identified, defined and localized in an unambiguous manner including the exact start and end date of the crediting period, by providing, at the stage it is added to the registered PoA, the information required by the registered PoA (EB 32, Annex 38, paragraph 9).

Multiple CPAs can be included under a Programme of Activities (PoA) at the time of registration and additional CPAs can be added at any point in the life of the Programme of Activities:

A CPA can be included in a registered PoA at any time during the duration of the PoA. To include an additional CPA in a registered PoA, the coordinating/managing entity shall forward, after having ensured all the requirements determined in the PoA and its specific CDM-CPA-DD are met, the completed CDM-CPA-DD form to any DOE for consistency checking. The coordinating/managing entity may forward more than one CDM-CPA-DD at one time (EB 47, Annex 29, paragraph 19).

If a CPA is consistent with the overall PoA, the designated operational entity (DOE) can include it by uploading the project design document CDM-CPA-DD to the UNFCCC website:

This DOE shall scrutinize the information in the CDM-CPA-DD against the latest version of the PoA and documentation requirements and, if consistency/integrity is confirmed, include the proposed CPA(s) in the registered PoA by forwarding the CDM-CPA-DD to the CDM Executive Board via uploading it through a dedicated interface on the UNFCCC CDM website. Such uploads shall be grouped and not occur more frequently than once per month (EB 47, Annex 29, paragraph 20).

The CME is responsible for initially developing an eligibility criteria for the inclusion of CPAs in a PoA. The CME is also responsible for ensuring that the potential CPA meets all requirements of the eligibility criteria before it is included.

The CME shall also develop and implement a management system that includes the following:

1. Clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of personnel involved in the process of inclusion of CPAs, including a review of their competencies made available to the DOE at the time of validation of the PoA;
2. Records of arrangements for training and capacity development for personnel made available to the DOE at the time of validation of the PoA;
3. Procedures for technical review of inclusion of CPAs made available to the DOE at the time of validation of the PoA;
4. A procedure to avoid double counting (e.g. to avoid the case of including a new CPA that has already been registered either as a CDM project activity or as a CPA of another PoA);
5. Records and documentation control process for each CPA under the PoA, made available to the ODE at the time of request for inclusion of the CPA;
6. Measures for continual improvements of the PoA management made available to the DOE at the time of validation of the PoA;
7. Any other relevant elements (EB 63, Annex 3, paragraph 9).

The DOE is required to confirm the eligibility of CPAs and where applicable may undertake sample-based checks in accordance with approved guidelines/standards from the Board.

In the case of PoAs involving combinations of technologies/measures and/or methodologies, distinct eligibility criteria shall be proposed per combination applied as described in the "Standard for application of multiple CDM methodologies for a program of activities". The eligibility criteria shall cover as a minimum the following:

1. The geographical boundary of the PoA including any time-induced boundary consistent with the geographical boundary set in the PoA;
2. Conditions that avoid double counting of emission reductions like unique identifications of product and end-user locations;
3. The specifications of technology/measure including the level and type of service, performance specifications including compliance with testing/certifications;
4. Conditions to check the start date of the CPA through documentary evidence;
5. Conditions that ensure compliance with applicability and other requirements of single or multiple methodology/ies applied by CPAs;
6. The conditions that ensure that CPAs meet the requirements pertaining to the demonstration of additionality;
7. The PoA-specific requirements stipulated by the CMEs including any conditions related to undertaking local stakeholder consultations and environmental impact analysis;
8. Where applicable, target group (e.g. domestic/commercial/industrial, rural/urban, grid-connected/off-grid) and distribution mechanisms (e.g. direction installation);
9. Where applicable, the conditions related to sampling requirements for a PoA in accordance with the approved guidelines/standard fro the Board pertaining to sampling and surveys;
10. Where applicable, the conditions that ensure that CPA in aggregate meets the small-scale or micro-scale threshold criteria (please refer to the latest approved  version of the "Guidelines for demonstrating additionality of microscale project activities" and the latest approved version of the "General Guidelines to SSC CDM methodologies") and remain within those thresholds throughout the crediting period of the CPA;
11. Where applicable, the requirements for the debundling check, in case CPAs belong to small-scale (SSC) or microscale project categories (please refer to the latest approved version of the "Guidelines on assessment of debundling for SSC project activities").
12. Conditions to provide an affirmation that funding from Annex I parties, if any, does not result in a diversion of official development assistance (EB 63, Annex 3, paragraph 13).

The DOE and the CDM Executive Board may specify additional considerations depending on the specifics of a PoA.

At the renewal of the crediting period of a PoA, which is at the renewal of the first CPA, the CMEs shall update the eligibility criteria as per the latest revised applicable methodology/ies and include them in a new version of the PoA DD and new generic CDM-CPA-DD validated by a DOE. This should then be submitted to the Board for approval (EB 63, Annex 3, paragraph 18).