sei-wp-2015-07-ji-lessons-for-carbon-mechs-5352bbb5092673d6.pdf

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the environmental integrity of Joint Implementation (JI) during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The authors conclude that approximately three-quarters of JI offsets likely did not represent additional emissions reductions, potentially increasing global greenhouse gas emissions by 600 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

• The use of Joint Implementation (JI) offsets may have resulted in global greenhouse gas emissions being approximately 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) higher than if countries had met their targets domestically.
• An analysis of a random sample of 60 projects found that additionality claims were not plausible for 73% of the issued Emission Reduction Units (ERUs) and questionable for an additional 12%.
• Approximately 95% of total ERUs were issued by countries with a significant Assigned Amount Unit (AAU) surplus, meaning these host countries had little economic incentive to ensure the environmental integrity of the credits.
• Of the six largest project types evaluated, only N2O abatement from nitric acid production demonstrated high overall environmental integrity.
• Projects involving the spontaneous ignition of coal waste piles in Ukraine are rated as having low environmental integrity due to implausible additionality and significant overcrediting based on unrealistic baseline assumptions.
• Associated petroleum gas (APG) utilization projects in Russia are rated as having low environmental integrity, with evidence suggesting that the largest projects were implemented regardless of JI incentives.
• Natural gas transportation and distribution projects, primarily in Ukraine, are rated as having low environmental integrity, with a high prevalence of retroactive crediting and implausible additionality.
• Energy efficiency projects in industry and power production and distribution are rated as having questionable environmental integrity, as many were financially attractive without JI and may have only seen sped-up implementation.
• The study found that projects under Track 2 (international oversight by the JISC) generally had a higher share of plausible environmental integrity than those under Track 1 (host country oversight).
• Accredited Independent Entities (AIEs), specifically Bureau Veritas, are criticized for failing to identify obvious mistakes and inconsistencies, with 77% of projects determined by Bureau Veritas in the sample having implausible additionality claims.
• Retroactive crediting, where ERUs are issued for reductions occurring before project registration, seriously undermined the integrity of JI, as it allowed activities not originally intended as JI projects to receive credits.
• The authors recommend that future crediting mechanisms should only use internationally accepted methodologies, prohibit retroactive crediting, and ensure auditors are fully accountable to a regulating authority.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). sei-wp-2015-07-ji-lessons-for-carbon-mechs-5352bbb5092673d6.pdf. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-WP-2015-07-JI-lessons-for-carbon-mechs.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. sei-wp-2015-07-ji-lessons-for-carbon-mechs-5352bbb5092673d6.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-WP-2015-07-JI-lessons-for-carbon-mechs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=sei-wp-2015-07-ji-lessons-for-carbon-mechs-5352bbb5092673d6.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-WP-2015-07-JI-lessons-for-carbon-mechs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendseiwp201507jilessonsforcarbonmechs5352bbb5092673d6pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{sei-wp-2015-07-ji-lessons-for-carbon-mechs-5352bbb5092673d6.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-WP-2015-07-JI-lessons-for-carbon-mechs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }