DISCUSSIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
By Karine Danielian

AZG Armenian Daily
24/10/2006

The impacts and conclusions of the Kyoto Protocol were discussed at
the Tekeyan Cultural Association, Yerevan, on October 20. To remind,
this is the European Commission’s regional project.

Armenia joined the Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol
in 1993. Developing countries (Armenia among them) do not have to
meet obligations on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG)
but do have to apply technologies contributing to reduction of
greenhouse gases. It’s expected that the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization’s project on climate change will grant
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova technical assistance for
creation of clean development mechanism (CDM). In accordance with
the government’s decision, the Ministry of Ecology has already set
empowered body to systematize the process of CDM.

The process of creation of the CDM has been launched at Noubarashen
dump in Yerevan. This project of 8 million is financed by the
Japanese. The dump GHG will be accumulated and burnt in gas engines
to generate electricity. For 16 years it’s planned to reduce by 100
thousand tones the emission of methane.

This will not be the only CDM project in Armenia.

Other projects are waiting to be confirmed. For instance, Mika Cement
CJSC will implement the project of reducing emissions during cement
production.

Projects similar to that of Noubarashen are going to be carried out
in the dumps of Gyumri and Vanadzor.