oa Clean development mechanism: An efficient instrument to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure sustainable development in the Middle East.

The 18th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention to Climate Change has taken place in December 2012 in Doha and brought some fruitful results in defining the future climate regime strategy. The parties acknowledged that, during the first phase of the implementation of Kyoto Protocol from 2008 to 2012, there had been a number of truly important achievements, in particular in setting up mechanisms aimed at the reduction of emissions locally and involving strong participation of the private sector. The lessons learned in the first phase of 2008-2012 provide valuable pointers for the future and will hopefully make an even stronger contribution to sustainable development in the years to come. This article offers an overview of the international climate policy framework and analysis of the probably most successful and promising instrument - clean development mechanism (CDM) - that has really boosted clean technology transfer, sustainable development and climate change awareness in the Middle East over the last 5 years. This article also reviews the implementation of several Global Environmental Fund (GEF) projects on renewable energy technologies diffusion in Tunisia, Egypt and other developing nations. It specifically addresses the inclusion of private actors (banking sector, equipment producers, private developers) throughout the definition phases and implementation of the projects. This paper analyzes the compatibility of the stakeholders' interests and the adaptation of public regulations and mechanisms in developing a fertile framework for the creation of private initiatives. The choice of cases allows for the study of the most relevant set of domestic parameters (such as legal, political and cultural variables) to unsure the capacity building and sustained contribution of private actors. The author worked for the United Nations Environment Programme during the development of the initiative and introduces in this paper a range of theoretical and analytic tools to underline the success and shortcomings of public-private partnerships in environmental technologies diffusion programs The article concludes by extracting the best practices that provide insights on how to develop similar projects within the GCC in general and Qatar in particular. Analyzing the shortcomings of some of the projects and the achievements of most, it will provide leads as to the establishment of a framework of public policies and program developments that could serve as a relevant foundation for the sustainable development of the country and the region.