Rich nations should not rely on a big supply of greenhouse gas credits from poor countries to help them meet Kyoto Protocol pollution targets, a leading German climate change consultant said this week. Sascha Lafeld of 3C Climate Change Consulting, a Dresdner Bank spin off, said credits generated under Kyoto´s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) may not become available quickly enough to help industry in Europe, Japan and Canada meet Kyoto greenhouse reduction goals.

“I am very sceptical about the contribution of CERs (CDM credits) in the Kyoto compliance period (2008-2012) as demand might by far outstrip supply,” he told Reuters.

“Volumes of CERs are not enough to become a real contribution to meet Kyoto targets.”

CDM is one of the main tools for tackling climate change set out under Kyoto, the international pact which came into force in February.”

The system allows developed countries to buy credits towards their reduction goals from emissions-reduccing projects in developing countries which have signed up to Kyoto but do not have targets of their own.

Lafeld said the supply of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from the CDM was being hampered by financial risks and delays getting projects approved.

“This year to date, 21 CDM projects have been registered which may or may not generate 55 million CERs by 2012,” he said, citing figures from Oslo-based analysts Point Carbon.

CDM covers a wide range of projects from modifications to reduce pollution from chemical plants to cuts in emissions from pig manure.

India has emerged as a big potential player in the CDM market, with Chile also hosting projects.

Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by Stuart Penson