Companies in Bahrain can cash in from environment projects that help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Developers and industries are being encouraged to take advantage of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), said Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife environmental assessment and planning directorate director Zahwa Al Kuwari.

Under the CDM, industrialised countries that have a commitment to reduce their GHG emissions can achieve their targets by investing in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.

Projects that reduce GHGs receive carbon credits from the CDM Executive Board and these can be sold on to countries that are obliged to reduce their emissions.

The CDM is a way of reducing global GHG emissions at a much lower cost than if investments were made in carbon-reducing projects in industrialised countries.

'Developing countries can benefit by implementing the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism,' Al Kuwari told our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News.

'They have to introduce a project that reduces emissions. During this you will have sustainability.

'We are identifying sectors and industries such as transportation and green buildings where this can work and some industries are in the process of doing this.

'We want companies to come forward to develop and understand this.'

Al Kuwari was speaking on the sidelines of the Third European Union-GCC expert meeting on climate change that was held at the Moevenpick Hotel in Muharraq yesterday.

More than 25 environment experts from the EU and GCC attended the meeting to discuss climate change and areas of action.

They also explored prospects or potential for co-operation between the EU and the GCC in the field of studies, research and projects related to climate change.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) have grown significantly since pre-industrial times and increased by 70pc between 1970 and 2004.

While developing countries such as those in the GCC are not obliged to reduce their carbon emissions, they are encouraged to make steps towards this.

Public commission director general Dr Adel Al Zayani said climate change was a phenomenon that had an impact on everything including marine life, food security, health, desertification, water resources, ecosystems, industry and human settlements.

He said the EU and GCC were dealing with climate change as a matter of priority and the two parties were exchanging knowledge, expertise, initiatives and mechanisms on this issue.

'If we can reach this target then projects and the mechanism of implementing those projects will be recommended to minister of environment in each country, who will then take the decision on implementation,' said Dr Al Zayani.

Dr Al Zayani said GCC countries were in the process of studying the situation of climate change and Bahrain was drawing up an action plan to reduce GHGs by 2012.

He said reducing carbon dioxide emissions had been earmarked by the Economic Development Board (EDB) as a priority for the country's future.

'We are in the process of finalising a report of an inventory on climate change and GHGs,' said Dr Al Zayani.

'We have put a framework and an action plan and this will be presented to the EDB by October or November, which is ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, in December.

He said the majority of carbon emissions in the country were coming from sources such as cars and industry that couldn't easily be controlled.

'In industry we put a policy with the Ministry of Industry that new industries must have clean technologies and the old ones must consider modifying their technologies to reduce emissions and pollutants.

'Also we must take the approach of renewable energy a