Page - (000144) - in Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development

Capacity building under the JCM is amust to ensure appropriatemanagement andMRV implementation on the ground.Although capacity building is not regu- lated under the JCM, and surprisingly does not seem to be the main interest of project participants, it should be required from feasibility study phase to project implementation including on equipment use and maintenance training for end-users. The partner countries may also provide recommendations on project- level capacity building strategies. Attractive information media are always beneficial. Ultimately, there is a need for an overarching framework for ensuring sustain- abledevelopmentcontribution.Atpresent, aguidelineofSustainableDevelopment Criteriahasbeen releasedby theJointCommitteebetweenJapanandIndonesia for ex-ante and ex-post evaluation on the JCM projects contribution to sustainable development. The guideline assesses the benefits of each JCM project to the environment, economy, social conditions, and technological improvement. It con- sists of a Sustainable Development Implementation Plan (SDIP) and Sustainable Development ImplementationReport (SDIR). Project participants are required to evaluate their own project using SDIP, which identifies potential impact of the project through a negative/exclusion checklist. After a chosen period, the project participantdevelopaSDIRtoreport theimpactof theirproject,oroutcomesoftheir SDIP, and review the contribution of their project to sustainable development, especiallyat theproject areaand its surrounding.TheSDIPandSDIRareessential to integrate the JCMprojects into thebroaderenvironmental, economic, andsocial impact management of the hosting entity, as well as to assess the co-benefits of projects. TheSDIPandSDIRare reviewedby the JointCommittee.The three registered projectswere approved before adoption of these guidelines, but theymay still be required to submit theirplans.Thisprocedure is applicable for all selectedprojects before they are registered by the Joint Committee. Availability of this procedure should be seen as an opportunity for the JCM to improve the sustainability assur- ance of projects in market-based mechanisms. There are benefits for the project participants, too, inpreventing theproject risks.Theseguidelinescouldbemadeas amandatory part of submission. The application of similar guideline in the other partner countries and a procedure for grievance/complaints from stakeholders during project should also be considered as a followupofSDIPandSDIR. The collective evaluationon these project-basedSDIPs andSDIRsby the Joint Committee or the Japanese government may be used to evaluate contribution to sustainable development at mechanisms-level for the JCM.27 Negotiations under the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement could consider the development of 27Mapping the Indicators: An Analysis of Sustainable Development Requirements of Selected MarketMechanisms andMultilateral Institutions. Berlin: German Emissions TradingAuthority (DEHSt) at theFederalEnvironmentAgency. 126 A.Amellina