Carbon markets must benefit people and the planet – anything less is unacceptable

The statement highlights the failures of the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) through examples of hydroelectric projects in Chile and Panama that caused environmental destruction and human rights violations. It calls for mandatory stakeholder consultations and independent grievance redress mechanisms in future carbon markets under the Paris Agreement to ensure a just transition.

• The Alto Maipo Hydropower Project in Chile, approved by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), threatened the water supply for seven million people in Santiago and caused irreversible damage to local livestock, beekeeping, and tourism activities in El Alfalfal and Los Maitenes.
• The Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in Panama, also a CDM-approved project, resulted in the flooding of cultural sites and lands, damage to livelihoods, and violent clashes that led to three deaths.
• The author asserts that the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) failed because it lacked an independent grievance redress mechanism for affected communities.
• To avoid repeating past mistakes, the author argues that Article 6 rules of the Paris Agreement must mandate inclusive stakeholder consultations throughout a project's duration and establish an independent grievance redress mechanism.

APA

Amaral, K. (2019). Carbon markets must benefit people and the planet – anything less is unacceptable. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2019/12/09/carbon-markets-must-benefit-people-and-the-planet-anything-less-is-unacceptable/

Chicago

Amaral, Kaisa. Carbon markets must benefit people and the planet – anything less is unacceptable. Carbon Market Watch, 2019. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2019/12/09/carbon-markets-must-benefit-people-and-the-planet-anything-less-is-unacceptable/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Amaral |first1=Kaisa |title=Carbon markets must benefit people and the planet – anything less is unacceptable |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=9 December 2019 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2019/12/09/carbon-markets-must-benefit-people-and-the-planet-anything-less-is-unacceptable/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{amaral2019carbon, author = {Amaral, Kaisa}, title = {{Carbon markets must benefit people and the planet – anything less is unacceptable}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2019/12/09/carbon-markets-must-benefit-people-and-the-planet-anything-less-is-unacceptable/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }