The United Nations has suspended approval of an uncofirmed number of wind farms, possibly up to 50, in China that have applied to be part of the carbon trading scheme. The move comes amid calls for the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism), of which carbon trading is a part, to be revamped and just days before the climate conference in Copenhagen. The Bonn, Germany office that oversees the applications from China has stopped approving them because of concerns that the Chinese government may have lowered subsidies to make the farms eligible for funding, according to CNN, which also cites other observers who say the problem is more complex than that. China has earned far more carbon credits under the UN plan than any other country, estimates by the Financial Times show. Carbon credits can be used to finance projects in developing countries to reduce CO2 emissions, allowing industrial countries to trade them with developing countries and thus offset their own excess emissions, under the Kyoto Protocol agreements. The Copenhagen meeting is seeking a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol.

Links to other sites: CNN, Financial Times, Guardian, UK

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