J. Environ. Sci. Policy http://doi.org/n7j (2013)

Under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), developed nations have mainly financed carbon-reduction projects in large emerging economies, such as China and Brazil. Less developed countries (LDCs) — including Cambodia, Bolivia and Uganda, among others — have had limited access to international carbon projects.

Eungkyoon Lee of Korea University, South Korea, and colleagues analyse the success story of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Risø Centre in Denmark — an agency that has already helped eleven LDCs to join CDM projects. Formed under an agreement between UNEP, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Technical University of Denmark, the agency is a real example of a boundary organization that sits between science and policy-making. Its focus is to address LDCs' concerns over the investor countries' interests in the projects and the fear that host countries end up with little, if any, reward. With strong internal leadership, the agency generates usable information, works closely with LDCs and supports local capacity-building.