Under JI, greenhouse gas emission reduction projects in countries with an emission reduction or limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol can generate saleable emission reduction units (ERUs), each equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. Countries can purchase and surrender ERUs to meet a part of their commitment under the Protocol.

To date, 170 projects in 12 countries have been submitted for public comment, the first step in the vetting process before projects undergo “determination” by an accredited entity under so-called JI Track 2. These 170 projects are expected to achieve around 300 million tonnes of emission reductions by the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.

The mechanism is supervised by the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee (JISC), which just concluded its 14th meeting. Members of the JISC are nominated by their home region or constituency and serve in their private capacity. The work of the committee is supported by the UNFCCC secretariat.

Six projects have already been accepted by the JISC, and one project, in Ukraine, has already had its emission reductions verified. The vetting of those projects was done by independent verifiers acting provisionally as “accredited independent entities”. Official accreditation of TÜV SÜD Industrie Service, which verified the emission reductions of the Ukraine project, means that the ERUs can now be issued and traded. The project makes use of coal mine methane to produce electricity, instead of venting the gas into the atmosphere, it is expected to generate 1,177,905 ERUs annually.

At the meeting, the JISC's first of 2009, the committee elected Derrick Oderson as Chair and Vlad Trusca as Vice-Chair.