The purpose of a PDD is to prepare project information for relevant stakeholders. These stakeholders include the investment community, the Designated Operating Entity (DOE) performing validation of the project, the CDM Executive Board (EB), the Designated National Authorities (DNA) of the involved countries and the local population. The PDD, together with the validation report and the approval letter of the DNA, are the basis for the registration of the project and its recognition as a credible CDM project.

The PDD is about the project’s design – that is, how the project intends to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below those levels that would otherwise have been emitted . Each and every CDM project is unique, from the project design to the application of even the simplest baseline methodology. Some of the projects submitted for validation may be very efficient in reducing emissions and score well in terms of economic, social and environmental benefits, but may still not qualify as CDM projects.

Experience has shown that the information needed to judge a suitability of a project for the CDM is vast and can take months to assemble. Also, the time required to assemble relevant information increases with the number and diversity of stakeholders involved and the complexity of the information itself.

This guidebook is based on a review of all PDDs submitted to DNV for validation. The advice given and the pitfalls described in this guidebook are, therefore, based on day-to-day, hands-on experience and real instances of mistakes made in submissions.

CDM PDD Guidebook (982 KB)