Climate Compatible Development Plan of the Dominican Republic (CCDP) in the cement and waste sectors

Context

The Climate Compatible Development Plan of the Dominican Republic (CCDP), an emission reduction strategy for the energy, transport, forestry, tourism, cement and waste sectors, was presented at the beginning of 2011. The document was developed within the scope of an International Climate Initiative (IKI) project with support from the Coalition for Rainforest Nations and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The plan considers waste and cement as sectors in which substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved in the short term. The use of suitable waste as an energy source, known as co-processing, offers considerable emission reduction potential, particularly in the case of cement production.

Objective

Nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a system for the measuring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions have been developed in the cement and waste sectors; the implementation of the measures has begun.

Informal waste collectors are benefiting from better working conditions. The health and well-being of the people living in the vicinity of the waste disposal sites have improved.

Approach

On behalf of BMUB, GIZ is advising the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL) on the implementation of the Climate Compatible Development Plan of the Dominican Republic in the cement and waste sectors. Among those being supported are the Dominican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA), the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC), the Dominican Municipal League (LMD), the National Network of Environmental Companies (ECORED), the national programme for environmentally friendly production (RNP+L) and the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (FEDOMU).

CNCCMDL and other state institutions receive training on planning, financing, monitoring and communication mechanisms.

A legal framework and an administrative procedure that cover the use of waste as an energy source and are in line with international standards are being drawn up, brought into force and applied. Actors from the public and private sectors as well as other relevant stakeholders are using a common inter-institutional dialogue platform to facilitate this process.

Models for inclusive supply chains of alternative fuels and raw materials to be used in the production of cement from municipal and industrial waste are being developed and applied on a national and regional basis.

Results

With the help of comprehensive knowledge gained from the training courses, CNCCMDL and other relevant actors are collaborating on establishing, maintaining and updating the national greenhouse gas inventory and are developing NAMAs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also able to assess financial, technical and environmental aspects in line with international standards.

Thanks to in-depth training on the subject of co-processing, decision-makers and experts from interest groups are forging ahead with efforts to enshrine co-processing in law and collaborating on planning pilot projects.

Baseline studies have examined the waste streams in the country, the business opportunities in relation to waste management and co-processing, and the legal framework. They were carried out by a number of actors, including ECORED, a consortium drawn from the Dominican private sector concerned with environmental and sustainability issues. These studies provided a basis that has enabled GIZ to offer advisory services regarding the proposal for a waste management law, various standards and regulations, and plans to establish waste supply chains.

Within the scope of the dialogue platform, a number of forums have helped to anchor the project within the institutional setting, network with other initiatives and strengthen the participants’ knowledge and proactive capacities. Topics included business opportunities in the area of co-processing, integrated waste management and the legal framework for waste management and co-processing.

Efforts to raise journalists' awareness of climate change and sound, comprehensive PR work in the form of roadshows, round tables, press briefings and numerous contributions across a range of media have made people more familiar with the issues associated with the project and turned them into a matter of public discussion.