This guide, written in simple and direct language, was developed with the intention of clarifying for a specific audience – local governments in Latin America – the issues of climate change and the opportunities to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), without claiming to be exhaustive.

This paper presents an overview of the phenomenon of climate change caused by global warming due to human (or anthropogenic) actions, the political aspects of dealing with the problem, and its relationship with local governments. It discusses the benefits that climate protection actions can offer, both from the point of view of implementing sustainable development and saving resources and the potential for financial gains through the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism). It also presents, by way of illustration, a series of examples of projects under study or already implemented, as well as specific cases of actions by CCP (Community-Based Planning) cities in Latin America.

The Guide also includes a section in which experts working in the field of climate change contribute their opinions on various aspects of local government participation in the CDM. It includes a glossary to aid in understanding the content.

The goal is for cities to engage in the fight against anthropogenic global warming, with a clear understanding of the opportunities offered by flexibility mechanisms and the limitations of participation, given the scale of activities and costs involved in the projects, understanding that the greatest benefit will be to guarantee a better quality of life in cities through the savings generated by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.