The factors impeding Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) implementation and carbon emissions reductions and energy management in relation to climate change and sustainable development in Africa.

Abstract

The paper focuses on experimentally researched information on factors that are an impediment to the implementation of clean development mechanism, the effects and solutions on carbon emissions reduction and energy management initiatives for sustainable development in relation to climate change in Africa. The objectives are to identify some countries in Africa where experimental studies have been done on factors which hinter implementation of CDM and the research methods, results, findings obtained and application in providing solutions on the way forward for implementation of CDM in Africa., to highlight the impacts of the failure and or success to implement the clean development mechanism on carbon emissions reductions and energy management in relation to climate change and sustainable development in Africa and to suggest solutions that can be used to accelerate the implementation of CDM in Africa. The methods used to collect data in both Kenya and Burkina Faso studies were questionnaires, interviews and workshops, whereas SPSS computer package method was used to analyze the data. CDM is a tool provided by Kyoto Protocol in 1997 established by United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change, that ensures all parties (developed & Developing Countries) of the Protocol benefit from the project activities designed to reduction of greenhouse gases in to the earth’s atmosphere. The findings of the studies done in Kenya, and Burkina Faso show the following factors to be hindering implementation of CDM:- policy barriers, project financing gaps, institutional barriers and gaps, lack of information and knowledge on CDM, government bureaucracy, corruption, limited resources and insecurity due to terrorism attacks. The solutions proposed for Burkina Faso and Kenya are given as- introduce efficient carbonization techniques, enhance community participation, create a black and white lists for approving CDM projects, promote in-country expert capacity building in CDM projects and provide tax incentives to CDM investors.