Indigenous people are often the most affected by climate change due to their reliance on the land and traditional way of life. In the Northwest of Guatemala, the Mayan Mam are an indigenous group who suffer as climate variability affects the ecosystem they rely on. Events such as erratic rainfall and droughts, hurricanes, and landslides have life-changing impacts on infrastructure, crops, and water resources.

The Green Forest Borders program is a community-based adaptation program in Guatemala, supported by the United Nations Development Program. It provides training, capacity...

In Peru, a multi-sectoral working group has been established as a key part of the country’s model to implement the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The NDC Multi-Sectoral Working Group (GTM-NDC, for its acronym in Spanish: Grupo de Trabajo Multisectorial) was officially formed early 2017and consists of 13 ministries and the National Centre of Strategic Planning (CEPLAN). Its main goal is to prepare the NDC Implementation Road Map, following a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder process.

In order to advance the development of sectoral implementation roadmaps, a team...

Sri Lanka is an island nation off of the Southern coast of India. Sri Lanka is home to approximately 21 million people and is rapidly urbanizing, especially in the Western province where 6 million people live on 5% of the country’s land area. This urbanization has caused a number of problems on the local ecosystem, the agricultural sector, and rapid growth in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Large swaths of agricultural land have been converted to housing and commercial uses, altering water ways and increasing transportation costs and pollution.

Sri Lanka has decided to take a...

Ecuador is a developing nation with a large agricultural sector. The agricultural sector continues to contribute to Ecuador’s economic growth but also leads to deforestation. While climate change is of great concern to the country, ecosystem conservation is an immediate need. Seeking to participate in the international Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) program, Ecuador developed its Socio Bosque program. The Socio Bosque program is based on conservation agreements, where the Ecuadorian government pays landowners an annual per-hectare amount for forests...

Maputo is the capital city of Mozambique. It is located on the coast in a bay of the Indian ocean. It has a population of 1.1 million people and is the most densely populated city in Mozambique. Maputo is divided into two parts, the more affluent ‘cement city’ containing the newest developments and paved roads, and the poorer bairros. Though the majority of population lives in the bairros a lack of political voice among the poor has resulted in the bairros being under-served.

Due to its coastal nature, Maputo is subject to flooding and cyclones. Coupled with climate change and...

Tanzania is a country in Eastern Africa with a population of approximately 57 million people. Tanzania has one of the largest forest covers of any country accounting for over 38% of its landmass. The plentifulness of forests has led to heavy reliance on their harvesting for building materials, farmland, and energy. Roughly 95% of Tanzania’s energy is derived from wood or charcoal. As Tanzania’s population has begun to grow at a steady rate since the 1970’s, the deforestation rate has become unsustainable and poses a long-term threat to the country, it’s residents, and the diverse creatures...

The effects of climate change and pollution threaten major Chinese industries and could reverse years of growth in their economy. As one way to combat climate change China signed the Kyoto protocol in 1997. The Kyoto protocol established emissions goals for each country and an emissions trading market. Countries that failed to meet their emissions goals could purchase Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) from other countries. CERs could also be awarded by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) to countries through a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). In this way, countries...

Agriculture accounts for 10-14% of Colombia’s gross domestic product and nearly 20% of their employment. Top commodities include bananas, sugar, and green coffee. Of their agricultural products, 25 of the most important crops and 83% of their agricultural lands are threatened by climate change. The Upper Cauca River Basin is in particular danger as it is involved in the production chain for most of Colombia’s exported agricultural products.

The Agricultural Vulnerability and Adaptation (AVA) project was launched in 2011 to help address climate risks. The AVA began as a...

Coastal zones are some of the most vulnerable areas affected by extreme weather events and climate change. In Ghana national policy has targeted activities towards protecting coastal regions, but their efforts have not traditionally included local knowledge. This has led to poor outcomes and flawed programs that did not adequately serve the needs of the communities they targeted.

A new program was launched to better incorporate local knowledge into national resilience planning called the ‘Building coastal resilience project’ led by the Regional Institute for Population Studies...

The city of Hue, Vietnam has a population of 340,000, but each year it welcomes 2.5 million tourists. Tourism represents 48% of the city’s gross domestic product, but also acts as a significant drain on natural resources. The government of Vietnam has begun searching for ways to make tourism sustainable and ecologically clean, without harming the tourism industry. Sustainable tourism is essential for maintaining Vietnam’s economy for generations to come.

The Hue Centre for International Cooperation, the municipality of Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the Asian Institute of...

The Yucatan Peninsula has a diverse set of political goals that include the protection of indigenous people, the tourism industry, fossil fuel development, and forest management. Three states including: Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo have diverse political interests, but shared vulnerabilities to climate change.

In 2010 the three states signed the first sub-national conservation agreement in a developing country. This agreement, called the Yucatan Peninsula Accord, created a regional climate change adaptation strategy, initiated a forest management program under the...

Belize is a developing nation with a large tourism industry. Like many developing nations, it is heavily dependent on harvesting natural resources and tourism for its economy. Coastal regions are tourism centers but are also the most at risk from the negative impacts of climate change such as flooding and storm surges. Besides climate change, coastal zones are prime areas for development that can result in deforestation and erosion. A Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) funded research project sought to provide Belize’s policymakers with information needed to build...

Valenzuela is a city in the capital region of the Philippines. It is highly urbanized with a population of approximately 570,000 people. Valenzuela sits between three rivers: the Tullahan, the Polo, and the Meycauayan. Since the 1980s Valenzuela has experienced regular flooding and storm surges during the rainy season. Flooding can result in standing water for weeks. During this time businesses are shut down, people are stranded in their homes with limited supplies, and outbreaks of water-borne diseases occur; making flooding both an economic and public health problem. Climate and...

India faces significant challenges in its energy supply. The population of India is about 1.1 billion while approximately 400 million people and 28 million households lacked access to electricity in 2011. To meet growing energy demand in a sustainable manner the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched in 2009. This mission sought for: solar power to achieve market parity by 2022, 20 GW of deployed solar power by 2022, solar panel manufacturing growth in India, solutions to potential environmental impacts of solar panel production, and the empowerment of rural residents to meet...

Indonesia has large mining, agriculture, and timber industries. These industries often require large swaths of land cleared, resulting in large-scale deforestation. Concerned with deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, the president of Indonesia placed a 2-year moratorium on permits for new land-use in forest and peatland regions. The goal of this moratorium was to reduce the rate of deforestation, and also to use the time to evaluate and redesign the permitting process to make land-use more. During the two-year moratorium the government reviewed permits and reissued, revoked, or...

Within Bolivia there are 36 indigenous groups with over 5 million people which account for approximately 60% of the country’s population. Each indigenous group has their own traditions and customs stemming from their histories. Often, indigenous knowledge includes specific and detailed knowledge of the climate they live in. With the progression of climate change and extreme weather events, indigenous groups have reported that previous methods of predicting the weather have become unreliable. The inability to predict the weather coupled with the increase of extreme weather events caused by...

The village Taltimiche is located in the San Marcos Guatemalan Highlands. Recent years have seen an increase of the violent storm events that cause floods, mudslides, and erosion. In 2005 Hurricane Stan destroyed most of the community’s land in an extreme case. Climate change is exacerbating weather events such as torrential storms, droughts, longer summer seasons with larger temperature extremes (both hot and cold), increased erosion, water shortages, and landslides. The community began conservation practices such as planting trees and selective agriculture using their own funds. But...

Madurai is a city in the South of India built on the banks of the river Vaigai with a population of about 1.5 million people. Due to the city’s location and geography it is vulnerable to extreme weather events. As weather events have worsened due to climate change more attention is being paid at the national and local level to “future proof” the city.

Of high interest is the city’s “blue” and “green” infrastructure. Blue infrastructure refers to water management infrastructure; this includes distributing clean drinking water, managing sewage, and draining storm water during...

Tanzania is a developing country that is turning to more renewable energy sources to address some of its biggest energy concerns. Currently only 14% of the country is electrified and this drops to 2% in rural areas. About 40% of the electricity is generated through hydroelectricity which becomes unreliable during droughts, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity with climate change. The Tanzanian economy has experienced some deflation making imported fuels such as diesel more expensive. Several microgrids are powered entirely by diesel and the electricity production costs...

Jamaica has much of its infrastructure in coastal areas and floodplains. The Meteorological Office of Jamaica has produced computer models, hazard maps, and resources for decision makers of flood-prone regions. These resources were, before the project, based on static climate models and were becoming inadequate for current and future climate predictions. This project engaged multi-country partners to produce new climate models in data-scarce regions to build a better understanding of future climate models and disseminate the knowledge among citizens and policy makers. The success and...

The Philippines is an island nation with high vulnerability to climate change. 70% of cities in the Philippines are coastal and many of its industries are highly resource intensive. In response to extreme weather events, to deal with rising concern, and to build a national framework for supporting climate change mitigation efforts in 2009 the Climate Change Act was passed. The Climate Change Act established the Climate Change Committee which combined several agencies with overlapping jurisdictions and roles into one agency that could be the sole policy-making authority on climate actions....

Zambia is a developing country with a rapidly growing population but strained food supply. Like many other developing countries, Zambia depends on local food production. However, Zambia is known to have low crop yields with an average of 1.1 tons of maize (a significant commercial crop) per hectare compared to other cereals which yield between 2.5-4.5 tons per hectare in South and East Asia. Increasing crop production and conserving natural resources, while increasing the countries resilience to extreme weather events and climate change is a top priority for the Zambian government.

Chiang Mai is one of the fastest growing cities in Thailand with an economy heavily tied to tourism. As the city grew increases in air and water pollution posed significant threats to health and the growing tourism industry there. Thailand introduced the non-motorized transport system that both reduced emissions and encouraged job opportunities for the urban poor.

Chiang Mai is the capital city of the Chiang Mai province. In 2012 35% of its GDP came from tourism making tourism one of its largest, and fastest growing, industries. Besides tourism Chang Mai also experienced...

Malabon City is one of the most densely populated cities in the Philippines and is prone to heavy flooding due to its topology. Malabon City and the surrounding regions have experienced rapid growth. The areas surrounding the river previously were used for agriculture and fishing but have become industrial and housing zones while remaining the most prone to flooding.

In 2011 the Partners for Resilience (PfR) program began working to reduce the damage caused to the city and its residents from flooding. This has included incorporating more resiliency into building design,...

Small island developing states (SIDS) are especially vulnerable to sea-level rise and extreme weather events. Fiji is an island nation in the South Pacific of about 7,000 square miles and a population of approximately 1 million people. Because islands of this size produce so little greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) climate change adaptation, rather than mitigation, becomes the top priority to protect its residents from the effects of climate change.

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international financing, and technical assistance program...

Agriculture is a major economic driver in the country of Nepal. Approximately 75% of the country’s employment and 25% of its gross domestic product comes from the agriculture sector. Farming is also vulnerable to extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, erosion, and hot and cold waves that are becoming more common with climate change. Adding to the country’s challenges, Nepal has recently undergone a political transition that resulted in men leaving rural regions for increased economic opportunity in cities. Women, the elderly, and lower-caste groups have taken on increased...

West Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia facing severe energy shortages. The province contains 10 districts and municipalities spread across a large geographic region with a mountainous topology that makes electricity transmission expensive. The current grid has about 14 MW of generation capacity at central power generating stations. The government of Indonesia has examined and changed its policy to better facilitate local generation that would reduce transmission costs while providing local economic growth through independent power producers (IPPs).

To allow for the...

Vietnam has engaged in reforestation programs since the 1980’s. The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) program began in 2005 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UN-REDD program assists countries by granting financial awards to applicants to conduct their own REDD+ programs. In 2008 Vietnam had been working towards building its REDD+ program. In 2009 the Vietnam REDD+ program was selected as one of nine pilot programs. This report details some of the necessary improvements that are needed in Vietnam to further the...

Coastal zones like the coast of Mexico are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten infrastructure and financial investments while storms and weather events threaten communities and lives. Mexico has over 11,000 km of coast areas that previously had no nationally administered adaptation strategy for climate change vulnerabilities.

In 2008 an integrated approach program to support coastal zone management was launched. This program had the end goal of providing recommendations to legislators for building coastal zone legislation. The program...

Sialkot City is one of Pakistan’s largest industrial hubs with a largely export-focused industry. However, many of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operate below maximum capacity due to high energy prices and irregular energy availability. To supplement low energy availability, diesel generators are often used. These generators are both more expensive than electricity from the grid when it is available and emit more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than grid electricity.

In addressing its energy shortages and climate goals city officials looked at deploying more solar and...

The economy of Vietnam is heavily dependent on the exploitation of natural resources to create high-intensity products such as steel and concrete. Seeking to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increase air quality, and preserve natural resources, the Vietnam government has created the Vietnam Green Growth Strategy (VGGS). The stated objective of the VGGS is to achieve a low carbon economy and sustainable development while maintaining GDP growth. The VGGS provides country-wide goals but allows the 63 provinces within Vietnam to build their own programs for compliance. The...

Peru is a rapidly developing economy with a nationally developed plan called Peru’s Planning for Climate Change (PLCC). Its industries rely heavily on natural resources and require high amounts of energy for steel manufacturing, component manufacturing, textiles, etc. Peru is unique because the majority (99.5%) of its registered businesses are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). These SMEs, due to business management and organization, use a disproportionate amount of energy compared to larger entities.

The PLCC recognizes that energy efficiency is key to meeting its...

Barbados is an island nation in the Caribbean. Before 1970 Barbados relied on oil imports for 95% of all its energy needs including space and water heating. As oil prices rose 300% in the 70’s, Barbados sought to diversify its energy mixture.

Water heating is energy intensive using 2 MWh per household annually. Barbados has large solar resources making solar water heaters (SWH) an attractive opportunity to reduce oil energy usage. The Barbados government worked with start-up companies, provided financial and regulatory support, and helped generate customer acceptance of SWH....

Quito is the capital city of Ecuador with a population of 2.7 million and an area of 143 square miles. Quito is particularly vulnerable to climate change and since 2009 has been pioneering programs to mitigate the effects of climate change. Quito’s programs have been expanded nationwide due to their success and are viewed as a model for other countries. Quito’s efforts have focused around its “Action Plan” developed in 2012. The Action Plan identified five key areas that would be most impacted by climate change: water, agriculture, biodiversity, public health, and natural event risks (such...

Bhutan has a population of approximately 784,000 and a per capita GDP of $2,569 in 2014. Bhutan has seen an explosion of personal vehicle ownership and demand for transportation in the past two decades. In 2006 Bhutan released its first “National Transport Policy” document. In 2017, in response to the United Nations Development Program, Bhutan released an updated version meant to address several gaps in the previous policy. These gaps include:

• Inadequacy in the coverage of sub-sector policies and diverse transport modes
• Failure to integrate with Bhutan’s...

Grenada is an island nation with a land area of approximately 350 km2 and a population of approximately 100,000 people. Grenada is highly vulnerable to climate change and has relatively low financial or technical capacity to prevent it. It is estimated that by 2050 climate change could cost the country $800 million which would be devastating to its economy and quality of life. Therefore, the government has led several programs to promote climate resilience. In 2011, it brought many of its government agencies to create a Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR). This program was one...

In Niger in the 60s and 70s it was common practice to clear farmland of all trees with the goal of maximizing crop yields. This led to deforestation and desertification throughout the country. It was found that a certain number of trees per hectare helped protect the soil quality and prevent erosion and desertification. Multiple attempts to restore trees to a region and change farming practices failed many times demonstrating the difficulty in changing established norms.

In response to past failures, a new program was developed known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (...

The Thai people and government have long been supportive of renewable energy and have been some of the earliest adopters of renewable technologies in Asia. Thailand currently imports about 50% of its bulk energy, often in the form of fossil fuels. Thailand is devoted to more sustainable and independent energy production and since 1992 has enacted programs to encourage renewable energies. Thailand’s current goal is to reach 20% renewables for electricity production by 2022. This could save $19 billion in energy imports annually, encourage $15 billion in private investment, avoid 76 million...

Access to insurance can have a disproportionate effect on developing economies. Often, the risk of catastrophic property damage most affects the poorest people which disincentivizes them to make capital investments that could improve their economic status. One example is livestock insurance. In Mongolia, livestock has traditionally not been insurable. Mongolia also experiences occasional and severe winter storms, called dzuds, that result in the death of hundreds or thousands of livestock. These weather anomalies are predicted to increase with time and are a detriment to the Mongolian...

South Africa has a growing economy that has previously produced up to 95% of its electricity from coal. South Africa also produces 40% of Africa’s electricity through coal making its state-run utility the tenth largest in the world. Seeking to manage the budget, the government of South Africa has been reducing subsidies to coal production and coal-based electricity. This has raised the price of electricity in the country. At COP 17 the South African Renewable initiative (SARi) was launched to increase the electricity produced in South Africa from renewable resources. Since it is viewed as...

The Philippines is one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the Asia-Pacific. Climate change projections indicate an increase in vulnerability, particularly in terms of unpredictable rainfall patterns.This puts the livelihood of farmers and food security in the Philippines at risk, especially on the island of Mindanao, also known as the “food basket” of the country.

In an effort to address these climate risks, the government-owned Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), in collaboration with UNDP, started the project “Scaling Up Risk Transfer Mechanisms for...

Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world and stands to be disproportionally affected by rising global temperatures and climate change. Recognizing this, international aid and domestic policy have been working together for decades to develop the economy of the country. In 2009 Uganda’s National Transport Plan was published. This document has not been updated since. However, many of its statements have been updated and included in Uganda’s National Development Planning Framework documents that seek to increase economic development in the country while reducing or eliminating...

The Government of Tanzania intends to establish, operate and manage a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which is a cost effective sustainable transportation system for Dar es Salaam City to ensure fast and orderly flow of traffic on urban streets and roads. The Dar es Salaam BRT project follows the current land use plan that shows an extension of planned residential areas in the north-west direction along Ali Hassan Mwinyi road, in the south direction along Kilwa road and in Tabata area.

The plan also shows an extension of unplanned residential areas in the west along Morogoro road...

In 2013, Germany’s newly elected government decided to define an emissions reduction pathway with a final target of 80 to 95 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 1990 baseline by 2050 and, to that end, develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP). Because of the envisioned societal consequences, the new government decided to develop the CAP in a participatory manner. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment set up a comprehensive public dialogue process to underpin the plan with concrete measures and secure broad legitimacy.

The scope of the dialogue process...

Over the past years Chile introduced two innovative solutions to coordinate subnational action to adapt to climate change: Regional Committees on Climate Change (CORECCs for their acronym in Spanish) and regional GHG inventories.

The CORECCs have been developed in the context of Chile’s National Action Plan on Climate Change 2017-2022. They are chaired by the regional governor and involve public entities (regional representativesof ministries, regional councils, and municipalities) as well as businesses, citizens, NGOs and academia. To this date (May 2018), 14 out of 15 regions in...

The implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAP) can be effectively used for building and strengthening local technical and scientific capacities, as has been proven by Senegal. Through a science-based support project for Senegal’s National Adaptation Plan processes (PAS-PNA), the NAP process shall be based on a sound scientific information basis by strengthening the exchange between science and policy. More specifically, the PAS-PNA aims to: i) identify the current state of climate change issues considered in national policies as well as existing national and sectoral strategies; (ii...

The project ”Strategic mainstreaming of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in Vietnam” provides the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with technical support to systematically integrate innovative ecosystem-based solutions into national and local adaptation planning. To that end it offers capacity training to stakeholders at both the national and provincial level. Moreover, it provides technical support to facilitate the implementation of EbA measures on the ground.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a concept that uses functioning ecosystems to mitigate and adapt to the...

The main objective of Morocco’s comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for adaptation is to provide the country’s various regions with an easily accessible instrument to control, analyze and visualize climate-related data and actions. More specifically, Morocco’s M&E system pursues three objectives: i) monitor & evaluate the vulnerability of key sectors; ii) support the monitoring of adaptation actions and provide input for their improvement; iii) collect and systematize successful experiences.

Morocco’s M&E system is a good practice case because it is...

The UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) programme was initiated by the Indian Ministry of Power in 2014 to reduce national energy consumption (and thereby CO2 emissions) by increasing the market penetration of energy-efficient LED bulbs. To stimulate demand for LED bulbs, the Indian public sector company Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) took measures to make them more affordable. One key step was procuring LED bulbs in bulk, which enabled EESL to buy them at a significantly lower cost, the benefit of which they passed on to consumers to make the bulbs affordable and...

Denmark is the global forerunner in the deployment of wind energy for electricity generation and one of the world’s leaders in the deployment of renewable energies. Several factors have beencrucial to ensure this leading position in the wind energy sector.

First, the Danish government adopted ambitious and legally binding renewable energy targets,energy support schemes and detailed technical regulations to promote and faciliate the deployment of wind energy. Second, the county introduced a number of flexibility mechanisms for conventionalpower plants to adjust to the entry of...

China’s mandatory energy conservation target-setting policy for large energy users, known as the Top-10,000 programme was introduced in 2011, as an expansion of its successful predecessor, the Top 1,000 programme which operated between 2006 and 2010. The Top-10,000 programme now covers two thirds of China's total energy consumption and aims to save 250 million tonne of coal equivalent (tce) by 2015, contributing to 37% of the total national energy saving target in the 12^th Five Year Plan (FYP). In November 2012, China’s government officially mandated provinces to implement...

The step-wise evolution of the GHG and Energy Target Management System (TMS) of the Republic of Korea, launched in 2010, has grown to cover 840 industrial installations, otherwise known as controlled entities (CEs). In 2013, the TMS instituted a web-based GHG Management System (NGMS) based on a common reporting framework that includes provisions for built-in verification, independent third party verification, public disclosure of data submitted by CEs and generation of time series analysis and reports.

The reporting system follows a robust annual work cycle beginning with the...

In response to international reporting requirements, Germany set up a national GHG inventory system in 2007. The system is coordinated by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and builds on cooperation with a range of government and non-government entities. A particular feature of the system is the industry cooperation agreements signed between the German government and industry sector associations and individual companies. The agreements ensure regular and efficient flow of data and information to enable the estimation of GHG emissions.

The German GHG inventory system is considered...

The preparation of Jordan’s INDC began in January 2015 and the INDC was submitted in September 2015.

Jordan’s INDC preparation process built on existing processes, national policies, institutions and streamlining the flow of information. A four-step approach, which included a series of workshops and ministerial engagements, was initiated and led to the cooperation of all relevant line ministries, each of them responsible for the contribution of their respective sectors. In addition, exchange programmes with other countries working on INDC preparation were organised. These exchange...

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet launched Chile’s preparation process for its INDC at the UN Climate Summit in New York, in September 2014. The final INDC was officially submitted in September 2015 1 and contains an unconditional target of 30% reduction of GHG emissions-intensity of GDP compared to 2007 levels by 2030, complemented by a conditional target (35–45% reduction of GHG emissions-intensity of GDP compared to 2007 by 2030) and a separate forestry target.

Chile is considered a “first mover” as it was among the first developing countries to prepare and publish a draft...

The EU ETS was established in 2003 by a Directive of the European Parliament and the European Council, and came into operation in 2005. It is the cornerstone of EU policy towards combatting climate change by reducing GHG emissions cost-effectively. It is the first multinational cap-and-trade system at the level of installations and covers 45% of GHG emissions of the EU. It covers 31 countries which, in total, account for 20% of global gross domestic product (GDP) (EDF et al. 2015).

The main objective of the EU ETS is to help EU Member States meet their commitments under the Kyoto...

Danish energy policy mandates the complete phase-out of fossil fuels in the energy supply by 2050. In the long term, electricity, heating, industry and transport energy are to be provided entirely by renewable sources. In the medium term, the 2012 Energy Agreement sets targets of 35% renewable energy in final energy consumption, approximately 50% of electricity consumption supplied by wind power, and a 7,6% reduction in gross energy consumption (in relation to 2010) by 2020. (Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate – EFKM, 2012).

Denmark’s energy model offers lessons on how...

Throughout 2011-12 the government of Kenya undertook a prioritisation process to identify actions to deliver its National Climate Change Response Strategy published in 2010. The process resulted in the Kenyan National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) and included specific mitigation and adaptation challenges to be incorporated into the climate related policies, plans and strategies of national institutions in Kenya.

The prioritisation process within the NCCAP was aligned to national development strategies combining a long-term vision with medium-term policy goals and mechanisms....

In 2008 Korea announced ‘Low Carbon, Green Growth’ as its vision for mid-to long-term development (2009-2050) together with a voluntary target of 30% reduction of GHG emissions from the business as usual scenario by 2020. To implement this vision, it launched a National Green Growth Strategy in 2009 along with the countries’ Five Year Plan (FYP) for 2009-2013. One of the key instruments to achieve the countries’ new vision was the establishment of a national Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), scheduled to start from January 2015.

The development of the ETS along with the implementation...

According to Costa Rica’s last national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory (2010), the livestock sector is the second largest emitting source, being responsible for 23.6% of national GHG emissions.

To support creating a more eco-competitive livestock sector, Costa Rica is implementing three closely-related initiatives in parallel in an integrated process to improve coherence and synergy. These are the National Strategy for Low Carbon Livestock, a Livestock NAMA, and its NAMA pilot plan for implementation. These initiatives, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, are carried...

The National Forest Monitoring System is a national MRV system, currently under development, aimed at improving the coordination and organisation amongst different institutions involved in the forestry sector in Costa Rica, in order to generate quality and verifiable information for different purposes.

The National Forest Monitoring System builds on Costa Rica’s Payment for Environmental Services (PES) monitoring system to support significant forest sector-related national policy objectives and/or programmes, including: (i) the national 2021 carbon neutrality goal; (ii)...

The development of Morocco’s INDC was based on a comprehensive technical and political process involving key stakeholders in the country. The INDC builds on the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) as well as several other national and sectoral strategies, including the Moroccan Solar Plan, the National Energy Strategy, the National Strategy to Combat Global Warming, and the Green Morocco Investment Plan. As such, it is well integrated into national policy planning and processes and reflects the country’s long term development objectives.

The INDC process was...

Over the years, the Philippines has significantly overhauled its climate policy framework, from a number of stand-alone laws passed during 1997-2008, to the current comprehensive, nationally integrated climate policy architecture guided by the 2009 Climate Change Act (CCA).

The CCA calls for the systematic integration of climate change in various phases of policy formulation, development plans, poverty reduction strategies, and other development tools used by all government agencies and departments. It also led to the establishment of the Philippines Climate Change Commission (CCC)...

In 2012, Bhutan launched its Carbon Neutral Strategy (CNS) as a follow-up to the carbon neutral commitments pledged by the government during the Copenhagen UNFCCC-COP15 meeting in 2009. With the support of the UNDP Low-Emission Capacity Building Programme, the government is undertaking the design of NAMAs, LEDS and MRV across a number of key sectors including: transport; waste; housing, and industry. To help mainstream gender balance into this design process, a Rapid Gender Capacity Needs Assessment was developed and implemented throughout 2013. Its recommendations are expected to enable...

The Mitigation Action Plans and Scenarios (MAPS) process grew out of the experience of developing the South African Long Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) during 2006-2008. The approach focuses on understanding how change happens in systems while recognizing the soft science of policy shifts and strategy development. Developing high quality technical analysis with local teams is essential, but building relationships between key stakeholders to ensure the credibility of, and buy-in to such analysis is as important (if not more so) for influencing political and policy-making...

Since 2007, Ecuador has been working on strategies to improve energy efficiency, mainly in the residential sector. In 2014, Ecuador started implementing the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Substitution Programme (PEC) 1 that contains, as a central component, the introduction of induction cookers across the country.

The PEC is closely aligned with Ecuador’s development plans and objectives, aiming at reducing its dependence on imported and subsidised fuels, and increasing the share of renewable energy in the matrix. As such, it forms part of a comprehensive and coherent package of...

Georgia, a country with 4.5 million inhabitants, is currently developing a national low emission development strategy. At the local level, Covenant of Mayor signatory cities are planning to make significant contributions to this strategy and Georgia’s national mitigation efforts. Of the seven current signatories to the EU Covenant of Mayors (CoM) in Georgia, four have already submitted and have begun implementing Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP). The SEAPs outline plans to achieve the commitment outlined in the CoM to reach GHG emission reductions of at least 20% by 2020.

The...

In May 2012, Ministers representing a group of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) agreed to the Barbados Declaration, which included a declaration on renewable energy targets by Pacific Island Countries (PICs), seven of which declared an ambitious target to generate 100% of their electricity from renewable technologies. The Cook Islands, Niue and Tuvalu have set a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2020, and Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands for 100% renewable energy by 2030. Tokelau already achieved the target by 2012/2013. The process of transition to renewable energy generation is...

In 2014, China launched the New Energy Development Strategic Action Plan (NEDSAP 2014–2020) setting a target to limit coal consumption at 4.2 Gt/year by 2020, which is estimated to represent 62% of the energy mix. The Plan is a Low Emission Development Strategy designed through a country-driven process and rooted in China’s priorities, such as improving local air quality and addressing water scarcity issues.

The ambition to limit coal consumption in China comes out of a commitment at the highest political level, contributing to the achievement of China’s Copenhagen pledge of 40–45%...

In 2013, President Obama announced the Climate Action Plan (CAP), the first comprehensive plan of the United States to address climate change. The CAP outlines 75 climate-related goals and respective actions that are subsumed under three pillars: mitigation, adaptation and international cooperation.

There has been marked progress on many items in the CAP over the last two years. Major success factors include the high-level political ownership, the long-term nature of the plan, the strategic approach behind the plan, and its high visibility at the national and international level....

In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) launched the Ghana Climate Ambitious Reporting Program (G-CARP) following the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC decision to enhance climate reporting.

The G-CARP aims to facilitate the setting up of an integrated climate data management system that meets both national and international reporting standards as well as track national policies implementation.

There are four functional components of the G-CARP including: (1) Setting up of a...

South Africa is among the leaders in its development of a comprehensive MRV system that is integrated into national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes, tuned to international Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) requirements. The monitoring encompasses the whole of MRV process, and the evaluation component provides “continuous assessment and feedback” to the monitoring system. Besides covering climate change mitigation and adaptation, the system also includes M&E of all atmospheric emissions (such as PM, NOx, SOx, etc.) through a web-based platform called the National...

Since 2004, the Brazilian government has been implementing the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm) aimed at reducing illegal cutting of forests and based on a three pillared strategy which includes: (i) territorial and land-use planning, (ii) environmental control and monitoring, and (iii) fostering sustainable production activities.

Dozens of government agencies were deployed to tackle what seemed to be an uncontrollable problem. The PPCDAm is led by 13 ministries initially under the direct coordination of the Executive Office of the...

The Ethiopia Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy was published in 2011, based on the vision set by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The vision is for Ethiopia to develop a climate-resilient green economy and to attain middle-income status by 2025. The country plans to follow a green economy pathway that fosters sustainable development.

The CRGE is based on four pillars: agriculture; forestry; power; and transport, industrial sectors and infrastructure. The CRGE strategy adopts a sectoral approach across six government ministries with more than sixty initiatives to...

On 26 March 2015, Norway was the third government after Switzerland and the European Union to officially submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the UNFCCC. Like the EU, Norway announced an emission reduction target at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The target is economy-wide and covers 100% of national GHG emissions.

Being among the first Parties to submit an INDC, Norway demonstrated initiative and responsibility in the process towards a new international climate agreement in 2015. With regard to substance, two particular aspects in Norway’s INDC...

Before the implementation of the new energy policy, and despite not having oil, natural gas or coal reserves, Uruguay had a significant presence of fossil fuels in its energy matrix, amounting to 56% in the period 2001–2006 (Méndez, 2014). In 2005, renewable energy sources had a share of 37% in the energy supply matrix. This was as the country was using almost its total hydro power potential. Energy imports were concentrated on few suppliers, increasing energy security risks (Energy and Nuclear Technology Directorate, 2008). In addition, average economic growth rates of 5.2% per year in...

Mexico has shown international leadership in developing legislation, policy and programmes to support its transition to a low carbon economy. A general law on climate change was recently approved and a long term climate change strategy is under implementation, together with a multi-stakeholder approach to develop an institutional MRV framework to support NAMAs and LEDS.

The institutional MRV framework being implemented aims to go beyond simply tracking emission reductions and includes a set of measures, systems and registries to perform policy evaluation, institutional strengthening...

Building on its 2009 pledge to reduce national GHG emissions (by 26% in 2020) and a subsequent climate change action plan published in 2011, Indonesia has made substantial progress in strengthening its capacity and institutional framework for delivering effective climate change mitigation. A key part of this institutional architecture is the Climate Change National Coordination Team (CCNCT) which is a body established under the State Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS).

The CCNT has joint responsibility for developing and detailing national and provincial level GHG...

Mexico is the first developing country to have implemented a climate change law. Approved in 2012, and based on several years of experience in the field, the law provides a climate change policy framework and sets the ground for (1) the establishment of an institutional arrangement, involving all relevant stakeholders and levels (national and subnational) in a national climate change system composed of several entities that promote participation and articulation among them; (2) the development of climate planning tools like a climate change strategy and a climate change programme; (3) the...

To identify and prioritize promising concepts for developing into NAMA proposals, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Programme engaged a range of national stakeholders and international experts to discuss and prioritize NAMA concepts based on a collaboratively designed selection process.

The approach, which included a series of workshops on NAMA design and preparation, resulted in a prioritised shortlist of concepts to be developed into NAMA proposals in Lebanon. The process increased awareness across national...

Over the years India has successfully created a positive outlook necessary to promote investment in, demand for, and supply of, renewable energy. India’s strategy on renewable energy is driven by the objectives of energy access and energy security, aided by the increasing concerns of climate change and grounded in existing policy making processes. It has evolved over the years through increasingly stronger political signals at federal level, reflected in the creation of a separate Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

...

With the development of the 310-MW Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP), Kenya supported its sustainability and socioeconomic development goals. The LTWP added substantial electricity generating capacity and helped diversify Kenya’s electricity supply, which is currently largely dependent on hydropower and fossil fuels. Other benefits of the LTWP include reducing emissions of CO₂and criteria air pollutants associated with burning fossil fuels that are harmful to human health, creating local jobs for construction and operation of the project, improving regional connectivity...

PlanCC (Planning for Climate Change) is a joint initiative of the Peruvian public and private sectors together with civil society and academia with the aim to analyse the feasibility of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

The process is organized in three phases including: (1) developing mitigation options and long-term scenarios for 2021 and 2050; (2) designing plans, policies and instruments that are “climate friendly”; and (3) implementing these measures in order to catalyse a long-term transformation and to provide an enabling environment for low-carbon investment. The...

Driven by concerns of energy security high dependence on imported fuels and environmental pollution due to improper waste disposal, Thailand has placed increasing emphasis on waste-to-energy options through its 10-year Renewable and Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP 2012-21). The plan presents a target of a 25% contribution of renewable and alternative energy sources by 2021, of which 30% is to come from bioenergy and municipal solid waste, representing an important step in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The focus on waste and agricultural residues in the AEDP is a...

The Dominican Republic, through the leadership of the President’s Office, developed a Climate Compatible Development Plan (CCDP) that presents a roadmap to double the size of the economy in twenty years while at the same time cutting emissions by half (a reduction of around 18 MtCO2e). The Plan was endorsed and launched by the President in September 2011 and presented at the UNFCCC-COP 17 in Durban[1] that same year.

Development of the plan involved extensive stakeholder participation and strong government leadership. The consultation process was led by the Office of the President...

In Colombia, the transport sector is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and urban areas increasingly suffer from traffic congestion and road safety concerns. The Colombian Transit Oriented Development (TOD) NAMA aims to address these issues by demonstrating how integrating urban planning and transport development in a city can reduce traffic growth by 25–36%, while improving air quality and living conditions.

Through this NAMA, the Colombian government aims to promote a more holistic approach to transport planning, with better coordination of land-use and...

The NAMA aims to reduce emissions associated with biomass use and respective deforestation e.g. for thermal energy use in the commercial sector by distributing more energy efficient cook stoves for traditional beer brewing and the production of Shea butter and sumbala. 1 In three phases, the NAMA will target i) productive energy use, ii) domestic energy use, iii) alternative energy options and energy markets. The objective is to enable the biomass energy sector to become an economically viable and renewable sector in the context of sustainable low carbon development.

Good practice...

The Vietnam Energy Efficiency Program (VNEEP) is a ten year program, which was approved in April 2006 by the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. It is a targeted national program and the first-ever comprehensive plan to institute measures for improving energy efficiency and conservation across all sectors of the Vietnamese economy. The overall aim of the program is to make initial savings of 3-5% during the period 2006 - 2010 and a further 5-8% during the period 2011 - 2015.

The development of the VNEEP provides a good example of a comprehensive plan, involving a...

With an economic and development model closely linked to fossil fuel use, Tunisia’s growth in recent decades has led to a marked increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Recognising the need to address climate change, the country has proceeded to pursue various strategies, plans and activities to promote renewable energy and climate protection while at the same time pursuing development goals such as modernising industry, creating jobs, improving quality of life and supporting international climate change mitigation efforts.

This case provides a good example of the development of well-...

The Dominican Republic is highly committed to combatting climate change, as can be seen by the high level of political leadership on climate change, where the President leads the “National Council on Climate Change and the Clean Development Mechanism” (NCCC-CDM). The Council developed the National Climate Compatible Development Plan (CCDP) in 2011, which outlines the government’s commitment to increase its GDP by 140% while at the same time cutting greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 25% by 2030.

Against this backdrop, the INDC preparation process has been an opportunity for improved...

The Chilean national carbon management programme (PNGC, due to its name in Spanish) is a government led initiative seeking to integrate public and private efforts for the reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local mitigation actions. It functions as a tool for public and private entities aiming to measure GHG emissions, monitor carbon footprints and identify mitigation opportunities. The initiative is led by the Climate Change Office at the Ministry of Environment and has taken a collaborative approach considering both public and private interests from the outset.

...

The sustainable use and trade of biodiversity-based products or BioTrade could act as the perfect starting point for Namibia’s transition to a greener economy. BioTrade is already improving livelihoods of many communities in Namibia, particularly in rural areas where opportunities for subsistence are otherwise limited.

Since 2000, Namibian stakeholders have developed an innovative ‘pipeline approach’ to coordinate and create sustainable economic opportunities based on harvesting, processing and trading indigenous plants and natural products . The pipeline approach prioritizes...

Gender equality is an issue being addressed by the 15 member countries of the Economic Community of West African States with the goal of regional collaboration and policymaking to enhance the role of women in the energy work force. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the developments of clean energy with those of gender inclusivity issues, the members are positioning themselves to achieve the Sustainable Energy for All initiative and...

Indonesia’s INDC highlights waste management and waste-to-energy projects as key actions for achieving the country’s broader unconditional mitigation goal of a 26% GHG emission reduction by 2020. Further, Indonesia’s national climate action plan includes a target of reducing emissions by 48–78 MtCO2e from the waste sector by 2020. The Institute for Essential Services Reform—an Indonesian technical institution that works closely with the national government—partnered with Carbon Trust and the Government of the United Kingdom to assess waste-to-energy project barriers and opportunities. The...

The electrification rate in Ghana is 30% (and 50% in rural areas) and the government has a goal of adding 10% renewable energy sources by 2020. Ghana has an over-reliance on hydropower and is therefore vulnerable to climate change related fluctuations in water resources. An overview of the major barriers to further expanding the power sector reveals several significant handicaps: subsidized power and low tariffs leading to financial issues, high transmission and infrastructure requirements and an over-reliance on hydro and gas as a resource.

In partnership with USAID and the...

China has set ambitious targets for renewable energy generation and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 64%–70% below 2005 levels by 2030. To meet these targets within a broader renewable energy portfolio, China is exploring the use of various marine-based energy sources. In particular, it is supporting measures to tap into its approximately 110 GW of potential tidal power in coastal waters. Key actions and good practices set forth to achieve a cumulative capacity of 50 MW of ocean energy by 2020 are listed below.

• Policy support for research and...

Under the National Energy Policy and to address the challenges associated with fossil fuel dependence, the Marshall Islands implemented its outer island solar project, setting a target of 100% renewable energy electrification. The project resulted in 95% solar electrification of all outer island public facilities and households and, building on that success, the Marshall Islands has adopted a target for the rest of the island of 20% renewable energy electrification by 2020.

Since 2004, Nicaragua’s National Energy Policy and Strategic Plan for the Energy Sector have established a clear and consistent process for national electrification, nearly doubling electricity access rates to 80% by 2015. This rapid grid development has been sustained by over US $1.5 billion in clean energy investment between 2006 and 2012, resulting in markedly increased energy self-sufficiency and distribution system efficiency, without notably increasing carbon emissions intensity in the country.

These national policies, and the broad cross institutional collaboration that they...

Acknowledging that development of a successful low emission development strategy (LEDS) requires coordination across all sectors of government and involvement of a wide range of key stakeholders, the Government of Zambia has established the Inter Ministerial Climate Change Secretariat (ICCS), comprising members of staff from key Ministries dealing with climate change. The ICCS was placed within the Ministry of Finance but now sits under the new Ministry of National Development Planning to provide overall coordination support to all sectors.

Electricity demand in Mexico is expected to increase at a rate of 3.5% each year. Recently, the government of Mexico has set an ambitious target of reaching 35% clean energy generation by 2024. Mexico has significant untapped geothermal energy resources and is estimated to range in between 5 and 25 gigawatts of untapped conventional and unconventional geothermal resources. Historically, electric power generation, transmission and distribution have been designated exclusively as state activities. However, the comprehensive policy reforms enacted in 2013 by the government of Mexico opened up...

Through its work across government, business, and academia, GreenCape has contributed to realizing significant private sector investment and employment in green business, technologies, and manufacturing in South Africa’s Western Cape province. This case study illustrates the sector development agency model and the specific approach used by GreenCape, with some key examples of successful initiatives. Further examples can be found in an Appendix with more Green Cape project results.

Work under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Catalyzing Clean Energy in Bangladesh (CCEB) program has shown that clean energy can provide Bangladesh with not only cost-effective greenhouse gas mitigation, but also affordable electricity, and the same could hold true for countries in similar circumstances. The analysis was based on modeling using detailed plant-level data from the Bangladesh power sector. The model is deployed at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as...

The Sri Lanka Climate Fund (SLCF) is a public private partnership under the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment.

The SLCF helps enhance the access to climate finance by providing fundraising services to firm working on climate change mitigation and adaptation projects; develops proposals and manages climate change mitigation and adaptation projects; develops and adapts market based instruments to mitigate climate change to achieve nationally determined contributions agreed by Sri Lanka; and works with domestic policy makers to advocate renewable energy and energy...

The Government of Punjab, under the vision of Chief Minister Shahbaz Shariff, has dedicated 6500 acres of land near Lal Sohanra, Cholistan, Bahawalpur for the purpose of establishing a 1000 MW Solar Park for solar energy electricity generation. This is an initiative of Government of the Punjab (GoPb), Pakistan to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in generation of electricity and to overcome the ever expanding gap between energy production and demand. 500 acres have been reserved to set up the first 100 MW PV Solar Power Plant.

As a result of conflict and war during the first half of the 20^th century in South Korea, a large portion of forests were degraded and depleted, predominantly due to excessive harvesting of timber for fuel. By the mid 1950s, South Korea’s forestry regions were less than half of the pre-war era. The government of South Korea initiated a nationwide campaign to educate citizens about the benefits of restoration. In addition, several policy initiatives have led to regaining much of its forest area. As of 2013, the monetary value (from carbon sequestration, water benefits, prevented...

The Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth Expert Committee was assembled to research and make recommendations for integrating LEDS into the national planning process. Its members included representation from the ministries of power, new and renewable energy, environment and forest, road transport and highways, railways, urban development, coal, petroleum, agriculture, and industrial policy and promotion, as well as the Central Electricity Authority, NTPC (utility) and others.

Under Papua New Guinea's Climate Compatible Development Policy the country is seeking to "ensure continuous climate financing from government and simultaneously mobilize additional funding from multilateral, bilateral and private sector for the collective benefit of all as well as coordinate on how to effectively manage them.” Seven strategies are being pursued to achieve this outcome:

1. Ensure funding is sourced through the recurrent budget, development grants and regulatory levies;

2. Ensure partnership in implementing climate change funding mechanism through...

In 2011, Mexico City authorities announced the closure of the Bordo Poniente Landfill, one of the world’s largest landfills and the city’s leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. An international public tender to generate clean electricity from landfill methane was released shortly thereafter. The landfill closure project—a collaboration between Mexico City, C40 Cities, and the Clinton Climate Initiative—is touted as a model for sustainable waste management. Positive impacts of the project include enough clean energy to power about 35,000 homes plus public streetlights as well as the...

The Enhancing Capacity for LEDS (EC-LEDS) Bangladesh Wind Resource Mapping Project is helping to reduce the development and investment risk by providing high-quality comprehensive wind resource data products needed to encourage public and private sector wind energy development and increase investor confidence in the viability of wind energy projects. The validated high-resolution wind maps and associated data products will provide the tools for wind developers looking to find opportunities, reduce wind prospecting timelines, and demonstrate to...

Southeast Asia is expected to experience higher temperatures and greater precipitation variability owing to climate change, resulting in impacts on hydropower performance and reliability. In the Philippines, researchers and in-country partners assessed environmental, financial, and social performance risks related to the 7-MW run-of-river Tudaya-2 hydropower plant. The analysis indicated only small risks of the Tudaya-2 plant not meeting its current environmental, financial, and social objectives. However, future increases in flash floods, droughts, and deforestation could threaten the...

Poor urban residents of Estelí, Nicaragua, are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts owing to inadequate physical infrastructure (such as sewers and drainage), land and housing vulnerability due to insecure tenure rights, socioeconomic challenges, and limited national-level climate assessments and planning specific to their needs. However, Estelí residents are engaged in small-scale, locally driven climate-resilience measures. Researchers from the World Bank and local research institutions piloted a method to identify climate vulnerabilities in poor urban areas of Estelí,...

In response to the increasing volumes of liquid waste caused by rapid urbanization, China has invested heavily in wastewater treatment plants. These plants produce sludge, which, although harmful to human health and the environment, can be reused to generate energy and create other products. In 2011, Xiangyang City in Hubei Province, China, implemented a thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion system that has successfully converted sludge waste into two commercial products—biogas and biochar—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Notable findings and good practices from this case...

In 2005, South Africa undertook efforts to increase energy efficiency while maintaining strong economic growth, as described by their National Energy Efficiency Strategy. By focusing on target industries, South Africa aims to foster economic progress without increasing carbon emissions and energy consumption. Through a strategic partnership with the Clean Energy Solutions Center, the South African government set out to craft regulations aimed at achieving their efficiency goals in...

Ukraine is facing unprecedented energy security challenges as a result of ongoing geopolitical and financial crises. Improving energy efficiency across the economy could strengthen energy security by decreasing the country’s reliance on fossil fuel imports, reduce pressure on public budgets that have historically shouldered billions of euros a year in energy subsidies (although some energy subsidies are now being phased out), reduce costs to consumers and improve the comfort and health of its residents.

The good news is that there is a large potential for energy efficiency gains in...

Egypt's Low-Carbon Economy Strategy aims to redirect the country's economy towards investments in clean technology.

In this context, the industrial sector is an increasingly important sector with respect to climate change mitigation. Based on current trends, it is estimated that by 2030, GHG emissions in important national industries such as cement, fertiliser, and iron and steel will increase substantially unless action is taken. However, research undertaken through the Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) project in Egypt shows that these same sectors have the most potential for...

This 'Inside story on climate compatible development' from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) looks at how, since 2013, the Urban Low Emission Development Strategies (Urban-LEDS) project has offered Bogor City an opportunity to integrate low carbon strategies not just in the transport sector but in its local development plans, supporting the city’s vision of adopting sustainability to transform Bogor into a more liveable city.

The project introduced ICLEI’s GreenClimateCities framework, using the analyze – act–accelerate model to offer customized guidance to Bogor...

The objective of the Renewable Energy Program is to help demonstrate that clean energy projects can be successful in Ukraine while helping to reduce risks for future investors and also addressing some of the early entrant barriers related to establishing precedents and reducing costs.

This program has been allocated US$75 million of Clean Technology Fund (CTF) resources and consists of three projects, two of them led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and one by the International Finance corporation (IFC). The EBRD Ukraine Sustainable Energy Lending...

An element of realizing the Democratic Republic of Congo’s LEDS initiatives is improving sustainable forest management, and an important part of that effort if sustainable biomass cultivation. An example of this work is EcoMakala, a project done with financing support from the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Union, which worked with farmers to reforest thousands of hectares of land near Goma in the northeast of the DRC near the border with Rwanda.

The project's general objectives are to "contribute to poverty reduction and to the sustainable development in the North...

The Myanmar Agriculture Network (MAN) was established in 2013 under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, local and global businesses, and other stakeholders. The Network serves as a multi-stakeholder platform to accelerate partnership opportunities and investment in food security, along with environmentally sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth in Myanmar.

It engages more than 60 organizations, including the Government of Myanmar, global and local private sector, civil society, international and donor organizations, and farmers’ associations. MAN is...

The ENERGIA gender methodology has been designed as a framework for energy sector planning. Its application aims at reducing the risk of gender inequality as a result from project activities and outcomes, and supports the case that both women and men benefit from energy projects.

The methodology has been used by the Energy Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, India, as part of the Asian Development Bank’s Regional Technical Assistance initiative Enhancing Energy Based Livelihoods for Women Micro-Entrepreneurs . It resulted in over 20,000 women entrepreneurs trained on...

"To effectively, efficiently, and equitably respond to climate change, countries must develop gender-responsive mitigation and adaptation strategies—not least because women are among those disproportionately and adversely affected by climate change and are seldom included in relevant decision-making processes to identify and implement solutions. Mitigation actions are measures undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and harnessing the experiences, expertise, and ideas of women and men alike is essential for full mitigation power. Governments, institutions and agencies have been slow...

"The Bangladesh solar home systems program, pioneered by nongovernmental organizations such as Grameen Shakti and supported by the government’s Infrastructure Development Company Ltd., has developed a dealer network providing a marketing, microcredit, and after sales service to enable rural households to buy renewable energy systems for lighting and mobile phone charging

The program has succeeded in achieving rapidly growing penetration rates even though those participating in the program pay almost the full cost of their solar home systems using a micro-credit loan facility and...

Georgia is making strides toward low emission sustainable economic development. The country’s long-term (20-year) climate objectives, as laid out in the 2010 National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) of Georgia, include implementing measures for adaptation to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Through the EC-LEDS program, Georgia and the United States are working together to plan and manage Georgia’s economic development for a lower GHG emissions...

The Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection led an inclusive multi-stakeholder process in collaboration with the Centre for Energy, Environment, and Engineering of Zambia (CEEEZ) to assess co-benefits of INDC mitigation actions using the Development Impacts Assessment (DIA) visual tool, developed in collaboration with the LEDS Global Partnership.

The tool provides a framework to help stakeholders identify and communicate the impacts (positive and negative...

Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest and most ambitious solar energy plan with investment of USD 9billion. The Moroccan Solar Plan is regarded as a milestone on the country’s path towards a secure and sustainable energy supply which is clean, green and affordable. The aim of the plan is to generate 2,000 megawatts (or 2 gigawatts) of solar power by the year 2020 by building mega-scale solar power projects at five location — Laayoune (Sahara), Boujdour (Western Sahara), Tarfaya (south of Agadir), Ain Beni Mathar (center) and Ouarzazate — with modern solar thermal, photovoltaic...

In 2015, the Republic of Macedonia promoted energy efficiency by adopting new or amended bylaws at the national level. The U.S. Agency for International Development collaborated with the Ministry of Economy to develop the bylaws, which included rules for certifying energy auditors and establishing building efficiency rating procedures.

The adopted legislation led to the certification of approximately 250 energy auditors and over 40 companies to perform energy audits, and established requirements for energy audits to be conducted in over 5,000 public buildings. The energy savings...

The 'Green Zone Project for Transport in Santiago' (ZVTS in Spanish acronym) was developed at the Municipality of Santiago as part of its Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). The ZVTS is the first NAMA designed for the transport sector in Chile, whose main objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the national greenhouse gas reduction target of 20% by 2020.

The ZVTS design considers four initiatives to reduce the impact on urban passenger transport emissions, grouping together in initiatives of a technological nature (Initiatives 1 and 2) and in...

This feasibility study reports the benefits of a payment for watershed services system for two watershed systems, Mubuku and Nyamwamba that have their headwaters in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park region in Uganda. Payments for watershed services is a methodology by which a market economy in created for services that relate to protecting ecosystems. In this case, the benefit would be to support the conservation of...

Geothermal energy is an underdeveloped clean energy resource due primarily to the high risks associated with early stage exploration and development. Some form of government support is typically required to minimize uncertainty and attract private investment. Turkey’s national and provincial governments jointly conducted all of Turkey’s early geothermal development, culminating in the 2005 publication of an inventory of Turkish geothermal waters. The inventory in conjunction with an amendment to decentralize power production, a mandatory feed-in-tariff, and other related renewable energy...

While hosting the 20th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP20) negotiations in December 2014, Peru passed a climate law – the first of its kind in the Latin America region. The new law establishes a greenhouse gas inventory system known as INFOCARBONO. INFOCARBONO provides a model that other countries can use when developing a comprehensive and consistent framework for national greenhouse gas inventories.

In this LEDS GP briefing note, Alfonso Cordova, climate change mitigation specialist and former climate advisor at...

During the 1980s, Mexico was known worldwide for its air quality problems. Mexico City, in that time, was considered the most polluted city in the world. Nowadays, despite having four times more vehicles, authorities have reduced air pollution concentration by more than 50% through a public policy integrated approach.

The link below includes a package of materials on what enabled this transformation, including a webinar that "discusses the history, public policies and challenges that Mexico has faced in terms of its private vehicle fleet management and how Mexico’s cultural and...

This project presents Lima’s rapid fuel matrix switch from high sulfur content diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)— mitigating risks, innovating financial structures, and pioneering information and communication technologies (ICTs) to establish an enabling environment at the local level.

In less than 9 years, the COFIGAS program has created partnerships that put more than 199,276 CNG vehicles in circulation (156,676 vehicles converted from diesel or gasoline and 42,600 new CNG vehicles). In addition, in three years (2009-2011), financing was approved for the acquisition of 714...

Between 2004 and 2012, the Laos Rural Electrification Program provided more than 39,000 formerly unconnected households with access to electricity. This access has facilitated many social, economic, and environmental co-benefits, including higher household incomes, reduced time spent on chores, reduced local air pollution, and reduced expenditure on energy assets. The program prioritized households from marginalized groups, including female-headed, poor, and disabled communities.

The Solar Home Systems (SHS) and Power to the Poor (P2P) initiatives have dramatically increased rural...

In 2011 Malaysia pushed forward with the New Energy Policy to spur renewable energy and energy efficiency development in the country. The policy has been considered largely effective and led the country to adopt a renewable energy capacity target of 11% by 2020. The New Energy policy included a few key features; market-based energy pricing approaches, establishing energy efficiency in both residential/commercial sectors, improved governance and scaled up deployment. Further improving off of this 2011 policy, Malaysia mandated the adoption of feed-in tariffs as a method of accelerated...

A Competitive and Climate Compatible Cartagena (Plan 4C) positions Cartagena as the first coastal city in Colombia to have a long term vision and a framework of planning and action to achieve climate compatible development by 2040.

It provides definitive responses with which to deal with the challenge of climate change through concrete strategies and actions to promote sectoral competitiveness in the long term, reduce poverty in the city and the islands and create opportunities for its citizens. The adaptation and mitigation measures proposed in Plan 4C offer the city and its...

The objective is the reduction of energy consumption, peak demand and greenhouse gas emissions related to the social housing sector in Argentina through setting standards and technological guidelines of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the construction of new housing development.

Results: Average reduction of 30% of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the new social housing, through the incorporation of energy efficiency measures and incorporating renewable energy technologies.

Vietnam’s National Green Growth Strategy establishes a vision for advancing low emission, climate resilient development and encourages all Vietnamese provinces to develop their own green growth action plans. Thanh Hoa, a province located along Vietnam’s north central coast and a priority region for economic growth, is an early leader in developing a green growth action plan. In particular, the provincial government’s establishment of a Green Growth Task Force (GGTF) in 2014 laid the foundation for critical leadership and action at the subnational level. The GGTF partnered with the United...

Indonesia took a key step towards its ambitious goal of transitioning towards a green economy. The country tested a new model that shows policymakers how their development decisions can help or hinder the green transition. The Indonesia Green Economy Model (I-GEM) also shows how development interventions can affect the incomes of poor people who are largely reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods - revealing often unseen capital of the poor for the first time.

A key step towards making this transition was taken when the country began testing the new I-GEM. This model...

Power generation sources (hydro, thermal, solar, wind) are always affected, although to varying degrees (depending on the energy source as well as the region) by changes in the climate. Taking into account the risk associated with climate changes into project identification, planning and implementation are key components to maximizing resilience. Mexico’s national power utility company, owns all three aspects, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity throughout Mexico. Mexico recently adopted a suite of climate-resilient strategies that especially address the vulnerability...

Tajikistan depends on hydropower for about 98% of its electricity and during winter months about 70% of the population experiences power outages. Tajikistan’s Qairokkum Hydropower plant relies on river basins that are fed by melted snow and glaciers, and these sources of water are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Additionally, climate change models have predicted significant changes to precipitation patterns in the region. Outlined below, and detailed in the case study, are several actions and good practices used to modernize and rehabilitate the Qairokkum Hydropower plant in the...

Currently the electrification rate is Tanzania is 30% (can be as low is 11% in rural areas) and the government has a goal of 75% electrification by 2035. This is an estimated addition of 60 million new electricity users. Some of the major barriers to better energy planning and performance include lack of supporting policy and regulations and the need for significant infrastructure improvements; thus, highlights the strong need for enhanced planning in the power sector and understanding the resilience of the grid to these stressors. Taking into account the risk associated with climate...

In 2011, the Government of South Africa launched a competitive procurement program for renewable energy called the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP). Since the launch of this public-private partnership, US $16 billion in private-sector investment has been committed for 79 awarded projects totaling 5,243 MW of renewable energy. The program has resulted in significant reductions in tariff rates for solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind over a short period. Rural development is also being positively impacted by the deployment of renewable energy...

Mexico’s power sector is transforming to become more reliable, financially robust, and cleaner. Through participation in the 21st Century Power Partnership, Mexican energy policymakers, regulators, and system operators can tap into the expertise of the international power sector community to address critical questions and challenges such as variable renewable grid integration, power system planning, and distributed generation deployment. Mexico has created a multi-stakeholder steering group to coordinate power sector transformation activities. To date, capacity building activities include...

Namibia is a country heavily tied to land-use as a source of employment for its people. According to the Namibian Labor Force Survey (Ministry of Labor, 2004), agriculture employed 27% of the country’s workforce in 2004. Additionally, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world, and according to the 2003/04 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 48% of rural households have farming as their main source of income. Mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change is crucial for Namibia due to their socio-economic development being keenly linked to climatic...

Due to deforestation, forest cover within the Panama Canal watershed decreased by 43% between 1974 and 1991. To ensure water flow capacity in the Canal, critical action was needed to restore and manage the watershed. This case study profiles the following actions and good practices that were implemented to support Panama Canal watershed restoration and protection.

• Development of an enabling policy environment addressing natural generation, reforestation, and land tenure, as well as policy enforcement.
• Leadership and institutional coordination led by the...

As part of India’s INDC, the country has prioritized supporting adaptation by addressing health impacts associated with extreme heat events. As one example, the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat partnered with the Indian Institute of Health, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a coalition of other technical and community groups to prepare a heat action plan and early warning system for extreme heat events. The plan lays out key actions that address health issues related to extreme heat, and it can serve as a replicable model for other municipalities. The following are key...

Brazil has a longstanding, successful biofuels program and a well-developed flex-fuel market. Gasoline and ethanol options are widespread at fueling stations across the country, and most new cars are flex-fuel vehicles that can run on any mix of gasoline and ethanol. Brazil’s sugarcane industry has benefited from the resulting increase in ethanol demand. A recent study of the impact of flex-fuel cars on retail fuel markets in Rio de Janiero concludes that increased flex-fuel car penetration corresponds with lower prices for gasoline and ethanol, suggesting that Brazil’s biofuels program...

The rapid urbanization of Ahmedabad, India, has caused a significant increase in the city’s motorized travel, urban sprawl, and traffic accident fatalities. In 2005, Ahmedabad was named India’s third most polluted city. However, the Janmarg (Hindi for “The People’s Way”) Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System, launched in 2009, has simultaneously reduced emissions and improved road safety. Janmarg BRT represents a vast improvement over Ahmedabad’s aging, traditional public bus system. It carries over 140,000 passengers per day, many of whom previously used shared vehicles or private motorized...

The Philippine National REDD-plus Strategy (PNRPS) presents a broad range of strategies and corresponding activities over a 10-year time horizon (2010-2020), and seeks to prepare forestlands managers throughout the country to assume responsibility in implementing REDD+ programs, research, projects and activities with the support of international, national and local agencies, NGOs and other support groups.

The PNRPS offers an overview of the forestry sector in the Philippines, a legal review of national policies in the context of REDD+, and a strategic outlook for REDD+ development...

Indonesia is pushing forward to sustain economic growth while reducing greenhouse emissions. The country aims for a 26% reduction in business-as-usual levels by 2020, or 41% with international support. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Indonesia recognizes the critical role of finance. Public and private financing, from both foreign and domestic entities will be needed to invest in emission reducing strategies and technologies. To better understand the flow of financing the Indonesian Ministry of Finance’s Fiscal Policy Agency and the Climate...

Low emissions development in the agricultural sector can mitigate climate change and is particularly important in countries such as Haiti whose economies largely depend on agriculture. Haiti has experienced frequent natural disasters, environmental degradation, and low economic development, all of which leave the country highly vulnerable to climate change. In 2015, the Feed the Future initiative launched the Chanji Lavi Plante project aimed at stabilizing hillside erosion in watersheds, boosting agricultural productivity, and improving farmers’ access to markets and finance in three...

The transformation of traditional power systems to encompass diverse renewable energy resources is critical in enabling low carbon climate resilient development. To support key climate and development objectives, the Government of India created an ambitious target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy by 2022. Understanding the impacts of scaled up renewable energy expansion on the grid is crucial and requires robust analysis to plan for potential operation and system changes. Within this context, GoI and other key partners, used advanced weather and power systems modeling to understand...

Geothermal energy is an underdeveloped clean energy resource due primarily to the high risks associated during early stages of development. Some form of government support is typically required to minimize uncertainty and attract private investors. Since the 1960’s the Philippines’ government has made a clear, sustained commitment to support geothermal development. Overtime, the Philippines’ government divested of its geothermal capacity ownership, spurring new waves of private sector-led geothermal development. Highlighted below and profiled in this case study, are actions and good...

Natural gas and hydro power meet the majority of Egypt’s electricity demand, but the country is looking to meet future energy needs with a greater share of renewables, particularly wind, due to its commercial viability and the excellent wind resource in the Gulf of Suez. To meet its future wind energy targets, the Egyptian government has pursued government-led and commercially-led strategies, including competitive bidding for large and small independent power producers (IPPs) to build, own, and operate plants. Notable actions and good practices associated with this competitive bidding...

As part of its commitment to combat vehicle-based emissions and address climate change, Colombia has launched a country wide Biotaxis initiative to green its existing taxi fleet. In partnership with C40 Cities Leadership Group, the city of Bogotá, Colombia developed a 50-electric taxi pilot project. Successful outcomes of the initiative included lower maintenance costs compared to gasoline and compressed natural gas vehicles, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline and compressed natural gas vehicles. These successful results motivated the city to develop an EV policy and...

Coastal cities like Cartagena are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as sea level rise, coastal flooding, and disease. Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR), and local authorities developed the concept of integrating climate change adaptation into Cartagena’s land use plan and other planning policies. Between 2011-2012, stakeholders conducted a climate change vulnerability assessment and prepared adaptation guidelines. The guidelines...

Like much of South Asia, Nepal is experiencing rapid urbanization, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. Rapid urbanization has come with increased demand for motorized travel, rising CO2 emissions, and poor urban air quality, with particulate matter concentrations well above World Health Organization guidelines. Comprehensive low carbon policy packages, like one proposed for the Kathmandu Valley in 2005, can reduce CO2 and particulate matter emissions from the transport sector, with the ancillary benefits of improved health and quality of life for residents, along with economic savings....

Agriculture is an integral part of the Honduran economy. It is also an important sector for reducing GHG emissions, as articulated in Honduras’s INDC. Recently, extreme weather events have negatively impacted agricultural production in Honduras, and climate change impacts over the longer term are expected to exacerbate these issues. Within this context, the Government of Honduras collaborated with USAID and other partners to implement smallholder farmer agricultural activities to simultaneously reduce GHG emissions, address climate vulnerability, and support economic development....

This case study shows how the Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM) has been used in Thailand to inform policymaking for low carbon, climate resilient growth. AIM is a set of computer simulation models for assessing options – primarily policy and technology choices – to reduce or slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. Users can model a wide range of social and economic activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration, including energy consumption, changing land use, and industrial production, and gain understanding on the resultant effects of greenhouse gas...

Kenya has a current installed electricity capacity of 2,351 MW. This is expected to grow drastically to 19,200 MW by 2030. To meet this demand the Kenyan government has developed a national energy plan and a National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). Geothermal energy has been identified as key to meeting Kenya’s energy demands. The country has an estimated geothermal capacity of 10,000 MW. As of 2014 Kenya’s installed geothermal capacity was 340 MW. Kenya’s NCCAP seeks to develop 1,887 MW of installed capacity by 2017 and 5,000 MW installed by 2030.

Geothermal energy in...

As the home of the Amazon rainforest and significant agricultural production, preventing deforestation to reduce emissions is a high priority for Brazil. Deforestation and emissions have slowed in the past decade, but a recent increase shows lingering challenges. Researchers at the Climate Policy Initiative studied four examples of increased agricultural productivity in Brazil. They concluded that Brazil’s cleared lands are underused and that agricultural productivity gains can be achieved without additional deforestation. Notable good practices and actions associated with balancing...

Population growth, agricultural expansion, and demand for fuel-wood resulted in large-scale deforestation in Nepal from the1950s to 1990s, leading to soil erosion, increased sediment runoff, landslides, and flooding. Community forestry, initiated by the Government of Nepal in the late 1970s, emerged as a new approach to engage communities in the usage, rehabilitation, and management of forests. Nepal’s community forestry activities resulted in: restoration of 1.2 million hectares of forestland; formation of 18,000 community user groups and annual US$ 12.4 million income generation by...

Traditional transmission planning approaches are often inadequate at accounting for areas of high renewable energy resources. However, regulators and transmission operators are increasingly exploring new methods for developing transmission to high-quality renewable energy areas while also considering financial implications and stakeholder engagement. Despite excellent wind resource in remote locations, Mexico struggled to provide the transmission infrastructure needed to support wind development in the early 2000’s. To rectify the situation, Mexico’s Ministry of Energy and Energy Regulator...

To support ongoing evaluation of future power system development scenarios, the Department of Energy of the Philippines (PDOE) together with USAID undertook a Solar and Wind Integration Study for the Luzon-Visayas System of the Philippines. The study used high-resolution renewable energy data and production cost modeling to assess location and time-specific operational impacts of various power system scenarios (15-50% renewable energy) out to 2030. The study is now being used to inform data-driven and analytically robust power sector planning. Key actions and good practices profiled...

In 2009 it was estimated that only 3% of Ethiopia’s native forests remained, which were largely lost due to crop farming, livestock grazing, and charcoal production. Economic losses from soil degradation were estimated to be US$ 1–2 billion annually. To address these challenges, the Government of Ethiopia and key partners implemented agroforestry practices and, particularly, an approach called “farmer-managed natural regeneration” (FMNR). Using FMNR native trees and shrubs are allowed to regrow from residual underground roots or through new planting alongside farmed crops. Farmer-managed...

Poor urban residents of Mombasa, Kenya, are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts owing to inadequate physical infrastructure (such as sewers and drainage), land and housing vulnerability due to insecure tenure rights, socioeconomic challenges, and limited national-level climate assessments and planning specific to their needs. However, Mombasa residents are engaged in small-scale, locally driven climate-resilience measures. Researchers from the World Bank and local research institutions piloted a method to identify climate vulnerabilities in poor urban areas of Mombasa,...

India needs substantial investment in clean energy and green infrastructure to meet its climate goals, but financing barriers have presented challenges. The India Innovation Lab for Green Finance was launched in November 2015 to accelerate the needed investments. The Lab is a private-public partnership with members from Indian ministries, development banks, international aid agencies, and the private sector. In October 2016, the Lab endorsed three financial instruments to be developed and piloted during 2016–2017: a rooftop solar private-sector financing facility, a peer-to-peer lending...

Traditional transmission-planning approaches often account inadequately for areas that are high in renewable energy resources but far from population centers. However, China is taking a proactive approach to planning for renewable energy generation and transmission. As part of its process for planning the development of eight high-capacity wind development regions or “bases” throughout its provinces, China is also assessing the transmission needed to transmit wind-generated power to distant load centers. China’s wind development activities align with its broader goal of achieving 250 GW of...

This working paper analyzes four case studies of local districts in Ethiopia to support the theory that sustainable land management would be benefited by linking natural resource management with market-oriented commodity development.

Land degradation has been identified as severe environmental problem in Ethiopia, especially since the early 1970s. This paper focuses mainly on the effect of short-term benefits to farmers and the explicit considerations of the linkages between natural resource management and market-oriented commodity development on the adoption and scaling out of...

Since moving into an era of peace and stability, the Congo has become a champion of sustainable tropical forest management planning, participating in the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade EU-(FLEGT) initiative and implementing an ambitious forest certification program. Current deforestation and degradation rates are estimated around 0.2%. However, more than half a million hectares of forest lands could vanish each year between 2015 to 2020 as a result of the country’s National Development Plan and the Congo 2025 Vision (a strategy aimed at making the Congo an emerging economy...

The primary contextual motivators for articulating climate change as a national development agenda in Nepal included the need to address the challenges posed by climate change impacts to Nepal’s socioeconomic development goals; the need to effectively engage with, implement and maximize the benefits of the UNFCCC; the need to make socioeconomic development practices and natural resource management practices climate friendly; and the need to mobilize and manage climate finance effectively (Ministry of Environment, 2010; Climate Change Policy, 2011).

The Government of Nepal’s...

The Mekong River Commission was founded to support intergovernmental planning for water resources that cross national boundaries in the Mekong region of Asia. As a major activity of the Commission, the Sustainable Hydropower Initiative supports management and planning for hydro projects from an integrated, cross-border perspective. The initiative focuses on ensuring hydro development that aligns with environmental, fishery ecosystem, and social priorities in the region. Key actions and good practices profiled in this case study are highlighted below.

• Design and implementation...

Due to certain aquaculture and agriculture practices as well as other factors, since the 1950s, Vietnam lost more than 80% of its mangrove forests (shrubs or trees that grow on coastal shorelines). Mangrove forests are useful in decreasing storm surge levels, reducing the height of waves and stabilizing sediments. Motivated by the vulnerability of Vietnam to storm surges and flooding, the Government of Vietnam implemented mangrove forest restoration activities. These activities resulted in concrete positive impacts including: expansion of new mangroves forests by 18,000 hectares; reduction...

Rwanda has ambitious sustainable development goals but is vulnerable to climate change impacts, which are estimated to cost 1% of Rwanda’s annual gross domestic product. To address this challenge, Rwanda developed a Green Growth and Climate Resilient Strategy, a key component of which is the Environment and Climate Change Fund (FONERWA). FONERWA aims to mobilize and manage resources to protect the environment and natural resources while helping the country adapt to climate change. Launched in 2013 with funds from the UK Aid Department for International Development, FONERWA has provided...

Payments for watershed services is a method by which a market economy is created for services that relate to protecting ecosystems. For communities surrounding a river basin, this approach rewards upstream water users, such as farmers, for adopting sustainable land-use techniques (such as terracing, mulching, and agroforestry) that protect water supply and quality for downstream users. A pilot payments-for-watershed-services project was implemented in Kenya’s Tana River Basin, which spans more than 17,000 km²and hosts about 150,000 small-scale farmers. This project aligns with...

Mexico has committed to a 25% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 as part of its INDC, and it aims to generate 35% of electricity from clean sources by 2024. Distributed generation (DG) can play a key role in helping Mexico meet both goals. Mexico is undergoing an energy reform that will create increasing opportunities for DG deployment. Energy institutions in Mexico have already made regulatory and policy choices to enable DG deployment, and remaining economic, technical, and regulatory barriers can be addressed by adopting best practices. Listed below are some DG best practices explored...

Through its INDC, South Africa aims to have its GHG emissions “peak, plateau, and decline” by 2030. To help accomplish that goal, South Africa has worked with the 21^stCentury Power Partnership since 2012 to make its power system more reliable, cost-effective, and low-carbon. This collaboration has enabled South African system planners, regulators, and operators to connect with and learn from a global network of industry experts. Several actions and good practices, detailed in the case study, are supporting successful outcomes under this partnership.

• Through...

As a result of crop production, cattle grazing and road development, Costa Rica’s forestland decreased from 77% to 41% of the country’s land area from 1943–1986. To address this challenge, the Government of Costa Rica and key partners implemented several notable actions including approaches to enable payments for environmental services and other policy reforms. Highlighted below are several actions and good practices profiled in this case study that supported forest restoration in Costa Rica.

• Development of an enabling policy environment that secured land titles for farmers...

Agroforestry practices supported regeneration of productive landscapes in the Maradi and Zinder regions of Niger, which were severely impacted by drought and crop failure from the 1960’s to the ‘80’s. Under an approach called “farmer-managed natural regeneration” (FMNR) native trees and shrubs are allowed to regrow from residual underground roots or through new planting alongside farmed crops. Agroforestry work in the Maradi and Zinder regions of Niger resulted in concrete positive impacts including: increased food security and crop resilience related to agroforestry and micro-dosing...

In the mid-1980s, agricultural expansion and commercial logging in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania resulted in significant deforestation, soil erosion, and negative impacts on water resources. In response, the Government launched the community-based Shinyanga Soil Conservation Program, which revived traditional practices restricting livestock grazing to the dry season. The Shinyanga Soil Conservation Program resulted in: restoration of 500,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of forestland; increased income; and improved access to public services such as classrooms and health clinics (due to...

The Andean cities of La Paz, Quito, and Lima share a common interest in climate compatible development and vulnerabilities to climate change due to dependence on shrinking glaciers for their water supplies. Through participation in the Cities Footprint Project, the three cities assessed their carbon and water footprints, developed municipal action plans, and implemented pilot projects to address carbon emissions and water use. Activities outlined in action plans indicate that La Paz, Quito, and Lima can all significantly reduce their carbon and water footprints through local government,...

Climate resilience has been integrated into low emission development planning in Kenya through their National Climate Change Action Plan. In particular, the Action Plan prioritizes deployment of technologies that will support both mitigation and adaptation outcomes. To enable action prioritization, a local and international technical team used a development impact assessment framework to assess mitigation, resilience and development impacts associated with various technologies and practices considered under the plan. As an example, technologies that reduce water use and emissions, while...

To address water scarcity, South Africa is reducing water use in the electricity sector. The country’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), developed by the South Africa Department of Energy, includes water use as a key criterion for assessing longer-term electricity-sector investments. Under the process that led to IRP adoption in 2011, the Department of Energy and partners assessed electricity-sector options in relation to critical development and climate criteria, which served as the foundation for decision making. The IRP is also highlighted in South Africa’s INDC as a “climate compatible...

By 2011, deforestation related to unsustainable agriculture and livestock practices in India had degraded an estimated 35 million hectares of forestland and negatively impacted water table levels. To address this challenge the Government of India implemented watershed management as the main national strategy to facilitate planning, development and management of the degraded regions. Watershed and forest management in India resulted in concrete positive impacts including: implementation of restoration interventions on 45 million hectares of degraded land; reduced soil erosion, increased...

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. Its agricultural sector employs about 70% of the country’s workforce and constitutes around 35% of the gross domestic product. Small-scale, subsistence-oriented family farming dominates the agricultural sector, with an estimated 60% of farmers rearing livestock. Emissions from livestock rearing, due to enteric fermentation and manure management, account for an estimated 70% of the country’s agricultural GHG emissions. One of Rwanda’s key actions under its INDC is to reduce agricultural GHG emissions from livestock rearing. Noted below...

Chile’s energy consumption grew by 47% from 2002–2010. During the same period, installed electrical generation capacity increased by 57% (from 10 to 16 GW), with hydropower making up 37% of total electrical generation. However, severe droughts have reduced Chile’s hydropower generation, leading to an increase in natural gas use. To avoid future energy crises, Chile developed initiatives to diversify its energy portfolio and accelerate the use of non-conventional energy sources. In 2009, the Chilean Government committed to increasing the use of marine energy, estimating that wave energy...

India uses negative energy pricing, or the practice of allowing power prices in an electricity market to fall below zero, to discourage generation during periods of oversupply on the electric grid. This strategy can minimize the curtailment of generation and expand opportunities for use of renewable energy sources. India’s work on negative pricing aligns with its target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which is also articulated in its INDC. Key actions and good practices supporting negative pricing in India, and detailed in the case study, are highlighted below.

...

Climate change could affect South Africa’s water resources, resulting in water-use impacts on its residential, agricultural, and industrial sectors. To help South African farmers adapt to climate change, researchers at the University of the Free State Bloemfontein used an economic model that simulates the impacts of adaptation strategies. The Ceres Dynamic Integrated Model showed significant impact to the farming community, but also demonstrated how adaptation could enhance the welfare of farmers. This modeling effort aligns with adaptation priorities in South Africa’s INDC, particularly...