Content of the PDD
Requirement to submit a PDD
Project participants in Track 2 JI projects are required to submit to the accredited independent entity (AIE) a project design document (PDD) that contains all information required to determine whether the project:
- Has been approved by the Parties involved;
- Would result in emission reductions that are additional to what would otherwise occur; and
- Has an appropriate baseline and monitoring plan (9/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 31).
These requirements are set out in full in 9/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 31:
Project participants shall submit to an accredited independent entity a project design document that contains all information needed for the determination of whether the project:
- Has been approved by the Parties involved;
- Would result in a reduction of anthropogenic emissions by sources or an enhancement of anthropogenic removals by sinks that is additional to any that would otherwise occur;
- Has an appropriate baseline and monitoring plan in accordance with the criteria set out in appendix B below (9/CMP.1, Annex, paragraph 31).
Standardised JI-LULUCF-PDD
At its first meeting, the COP/MOP requested that the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee (JISC) create a standardised PDD for JI projects:
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ...
- Requests the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee to establish and execute a work programme including the following tasks: ...
- To elaborate and agree on a joint implementation project design document pursuant to paragraph 3 (e) of the guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol, with the understanding that it shall be applied provisionally until the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol has adopted it in accordance with the guidelines for the implementation of Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol (10/CMP.1, paragraph 2(d)).
This standardised PDD for LULUCF projects was developed and adopted by the JISC at its fourth meeting (JISC 4, Annex 14). The current version (Version 1) is available on the UNFCCC website here.
The JI PDD for LULUCF projects draws on aspects of the CDM PDD, as anticipated by the COP/MOP:
The relevant parts of the clean development mechanism project design document, and of the project design document for small-scale clean development mechanism project activities, may be applied by project participants under joint implementation, as appropriate (10/CMP.1, paragraph 4(b)).
The JI PDD forms, including the PDD for LULUCF projects, were adopted by the COP/MOP at its second meeting:
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol: ...
- Adopts the joint implementation project design document forms, elaborated by the Committee in accordance with paragraph 3 (e) of the joint implementation guidelines and paragraph 2 (d) of decision 10/CMP.1, as contained in annex II of document FCCC/KP/CMP/2006/5 and annexes I and II of document FCCC/KP/CMP/2006/5/Add.1 (2/CMP.2, paragraph 3).
The COP/MOP also authorised the JISC to make any necessary amendments to the PDDs:
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol: ...
- Authorizes the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee, taking into account experience gained, to make any amendments or additions to the project design document forms, as appropriate, and to elaborate in its annual report to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, for information, on any such amendments or additions (2/CMP.2, paragraph 4).
Guidelines for completing the JI-LULUCF-PDD
The COP/MOP also requested that the JISC develop guidelines for completing the JI PDD for LULUCF projects, drawing on the guidelines developed for completing the CDM PDD:
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ...
- Requests the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee to establish and execute a work programme including the following tasks: ...
- To develop, as soon as possible, guidelines for users, inter alia, of the joint implementation project design document, drawing on guidelines developed by the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism, where appropriate (10/CMP.1, paragraph 2(e)).
These Guidelines for users of the JI LULUCF PDD form were developed and adopted by the JISC at its fourth meeting (JISC 4, Annex 15). The guidelines were amended to include a revised glossary of terms for JI projects, and a new version (Version 2) was adopted by the JISC at its sixth meeting (JISC 6, Annex 8). Version 4 was adopted at the eighteenth meeting (JISC 18, Annex 6) and consolidated the glossary of terms in a separate document and increased transparency and consistency in the PDD. Version 4 is available on the UNFCCC website here. The glossary of joint implementation terms can be found here.