ABSTRACT
The clean development mechanism (CDM) represents hope for the world's pursuit of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Widely considered as the perfect mix of emissions control in developed economies and finance for crucial sustainable development in developing countries, the CDM was instituted with lofty hopes and expectations. However, from inception, the scientific literature is replete with analyses of its pros and cons as well as critical issues in need of long term solutions. Perhaps the most glaring defect of the CDM is its failure to fairly distribute projects in developing regions around the world leading to a neglect of economies in dire need of sustainable growth. Yet for its inadequacies, CDM has been a driver of several precursors to sustainable development. This chapter takes a precise look at CDM implementation across Africa, Southeast Asia and South America and discusses its deficiencies, achievements and recommendations.
