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Todd Stern (Goal Leader)U.S. Special Envoy for Climate ChangeUnited States Department of State
Allen Eisendrath (Acting Co-Manager)USAID Global Climate Change CoordinatorUnited States Agency for International Development
Trigg Talley(Co-Manager)Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Climate ChangeUnited States Department of State
Goal Overview
The focus of this Agency Priority Goal (APG) is to enable economic growth in developing countries in a manner that supports their long term transition to a low greenhouse gas emissions economy, thereby enhancing their ability to contribute to the global effort to address climate change. The U.S. Government (USG) will accomplish this by supporting the development, refinement and implementation of country-driven low emission development strategies (LEDS) and international and domestic climate change mitigation commitments.
LEDS is both a development and a diplomatic priority. The USG's development agenda is supported by work on LEDS, which promotes long-term, sustainable, low emission economic growth. The USG's diplomatic agenda is supported by LEDS, as it is the foundation for enabling developing countries to better understand and prioritize their options in order to determine which development and mitigation goals they can achieve to contribute to the international effort to address climate change. An effective global effort to reduce GHG emissions in turn benefits the U.S. by reducing climate related risks.
This APG focuses on measuring the progress of the Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) program and the multilateral LEDS Global Partnership. Through EC-LEDS, a multiagency U.S. Government team is working with partner countries to advance effective country-driven, economy-wide LEDS that support national development and economic growth objectives by scaling up clean energy capacity; increasing the area of land under improved management; and advancing other actions that significantly reduce projected emissions from a "business as usual" pathway and monitor progress. The LEDS Global Partnership is an international community of practice for enhancing coordination, information exchange, and cooperation among countries and international programs working to advance low emission, climate-resilient growth. The U.S. worked with other donor countries and technical leaders to launch this Partnership in 2011.
This APG will also aim to capture progress of complementary U.S.-supported climate change programs that contribute to LEDS objectives in developing countries, including the major outcomes of programs that seek to incorporate climate change mitigation.
Low-emission, climate-resilient economic growth is highlighted as a U.S. diplomatic and development priority in the President’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. National Security Strategy, the President’s Development Policy, and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Promoting low emission, climate-resilient development is a central pillar of the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative and is at the core of USAID’s Climate Change and Development Strategy.
Strategies
The State and USAID climate change teams have developed the implementation strategy for this Agency Priority Goal through a series of interagency discussions and regular EC-LEDS management meetings convened by the USAID Global Climate Change Coordinator and the State Department Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change.
The U.S. Government’s work on LEDS has two primary components:
1. Providing targeted technical assistance and capacity building for development, refinement, and implementation of LEDS and international and domestic climate change mitigation contributions by developing countries. Examples of this assistance include: 1) supporting the development of new strategies, targets or commitments and/or enhancing and strengthening existing strategies, 2) working with government and civil society partners to strengthen in-country human and institutional capacity, including through the provision of tools and approaches, to assist with LEDS, and 3) supporting the implementation of LEDS, in particular scaling up clean energy capacity; increasing the area of land under improved management; and advancing other actions that significantly reduce projected emissions from a business as usual pathway. Additional examples of types of technical assistance provided include: greenhouse gas inventory and accounting support; emissions and economic modeling, analysis, and projections; policy analysis; and mobilizing private sector investment and other financing; as well as implementation of programs that support the development and achievement of domestic and international climate change mitigation commitments.
2. Scaling up low emission development around the world by sharing and applying collective knowledge and resources through the LEDS Global Partnership. The LEDS Global Partnership—a partnership of more than 160 countries and international programs—enhances coordination, information exchange, and cooperation to advance climate-resilient low emission growth. It does this through three regional platforms for cooperation and five technical working groups focused on energy, forests and land use, transport, measuring LEDS benefits, subnational LEDS efforts, and financing the implementation of low emission development policies and technologies.
Progress Update
Overview
Through the President’s Climate Action Plan, the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative, and USAID’s Climate Change and Development Strategy, the United States has made low-emissions, climate-resilient sustainable economic growth a priority in our diplomacy and development. The United States is leading efforts to address climate change through international climate negotiations while enhancing multilateral and bilateral engagement with major economies. It is also enhancing partnerships with other key countries and regions. The United States is building partnerships to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants and from deforestation. The United States is also building capacity for countries to undertake low emission development strategies and actions. This work includes assisting countries to increase their capacity for cross-sector planning and formulating sectoral policies for low-emissions economic growth.
In FY 2016 Q4, the United States Government (USG) team exceeded its targets for two quarterly indicators and met two quarterly milestones.
The USG team exceeded the following quarterly indicator targets:
- The number of developing country officials and practitioners with strengthened capacity through participation in the Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) Global Partnership (GP) reached 2,736 in FY 2016 Q4, which is 1,736 more than the cumulative target of 1,000 developing country officials and practitioners with strengthened capacity.
- The number of LEDS policies or measures in developing countries that were strengthened as a result of USG assistance reached 10 in FY 2016 Q4, up from 8 in FY 2016 Q3. This is one more than the cumulative target of nine policies or measures strengthened.
The USG team met the following quarterly milestones for this reporting period:
- Through a new publication from the LEDS GP Transport Working Group, which summarizes the key messages from a webinar series on implementing new fuel quality and vehicle emission standards in Asia, the USG met the milestone to complete at least one case study or establish one technical toolkit on LEDS approaches.
- The milestone to have at least one private sector entity engage in the LEDS GP and provide technical advisory or financial services is complete by a partnership established with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). WBCSD provided resources and trainings on mini-grids to the LEDS GP community.
Explanation of Results
Number of developing country officials and practitioners with strengthened capacity
The indicator for the number of developing country officials and practitioners with strengthened capacity through participation in the LEDS GP exceeded its target as a result of well-attended technical assistance activities and workshops led by the LEDS GP Working Groups and Regional Platforms.
Breakdown:
A total of seven capacity strengthening web-based trainings were delivered to at least 404 developing country officials and practitioners. Web-based trainings delivered by the LEDS Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Platform covered topics such as:
- Challenges and opportunities for business in a low-carbon economy;
- Development of youth leadership through LEDS;
- Tools for estimating greenhouse gas emissions in transport projects.
Additionally, the Energy Working Group delivered two web-based training sessions for the LAC Bioelectricity Community of Practice which covered topics including biomass resource potentials, technical considerations, and costs and benefits of bioelectricity development.
Another 420 developing country officials and practitioners strengthened LEDS capacity through in-person training delivered during the LEDS LAC Annual Event held in Panama City, Panama on September 24-26, 2016. Additional capacity building took place through the new Asia Region Transport Community of Practices, which held a launch event on the sidelines of the Asia Development Bank Transport Forum held in Manila, Philippines on September 13, 2016. The LEDS LAC regional event engaged participants, from 21 developing country governments, in hands-on training sessions organized by LEDS LAC partner organizations. Topics covered during training sessions included:
- Financing nationally determined contributions (NDC) implementation;
- Private sector participation in the design and implementation of LEDS and NDCs;
- Technology transfer for LEDS;
- Linking REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and LEDS strategies;
- Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and its role in NDC implementation.
Participants had opportunities to share results of their projects with colleagues from across the region, to extend their network of contacts, and to identify opportunities for collaboration on challenges related to private sector finance mobilization, policy and regulatory mechanisms, and benefits assessment of LEDS.
The LEDS GP Transport Working Group, with support from the Asia LEDS Partnership (ALP), organized a roundtable discussion on September 13, 2016, at Pasig City, Philippines, to launch a community of practice to focus on capacity building for planning and implementation of low carbon transport actions.
This meeting identified transport priorities in Asia and explored opportunities for partnerships to address these priority areas especially on delivering capacity building support across Asia.
Number of LEDS policies or measures improved
Through technical assistance efforts in Chile and Macedonia the target for number of policies or measures strengthened as a result of USG assistance was met.
In Chile, the LEDS GP Benefits Working Group (WG) compiled a resource guide describing a MRV framework for the Clean Production National Council. This guide has strengthened the National Council’s framework to measure and report the impacts of the Clean Production Agreement – which is intended to support Chile's implementation of clean production through respective targets and verifiable actions within a specific time period. In addition to the guide, the Manager of Chile's Clean Production Agreements received training on qualitative and quantitative impact assessments of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions at the LEDS LAC annual event held in Panama. After the training, he commented, "the guide is useful for us because it gives us a general framework of the things we should be looking at when implementing Clean Production Agreements, not just for data collection, but for actions that could impact other MRV categories. It also gives us an idea of things of interest that we could calculate using the data we already have.”
The LEDS GP collaborated with Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and the Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister through the Remote Expert Assistance on LEDS (REAL) service to strengthen the Government of Macedonia’s framework to develop a LEDS strategy and implement actions aligned with Macedonia’s national development priorities. Through a series of consultations with key stakeholders working on low emission development in the country, LEDS GP experts identified gaps and provided comprehensive recommendations on establishing targets, baselines, and mitigation scenarios, methods for including the private sector in policy development, enhancing government staff capacity and leadership, and linking national and subnational efforts.
Additionally, there are ongoing technical assistance efforts in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) supporting additional actions not captured under this quarter’s results. In Cameroon, LEDS GP offered key scoping questions for LEDS to assess the national vision and agencies’ priorities and support a future LEDS inception mission. In the DRC, the LEDS GP provided technical assistance to the DRC Government to incorporate LEDS related concepts, objectives and approaches into the national development plan to help the country to achieve its vision of emerging economy status by 2030. Although not counted toward indicator results in this quarter, the USG expects these efforts to result in strengthened LEDS policies and measures in the near future. Actions taken earlier this year strengthened eight LEDS policies or measures by harnessing capacity gained through participation in the LEDS Global Partnership. These eight policies are detailed in earlier quarterly updates.
Quarterly milestones
Through a new publication from the LEDS GP Transport Working Group, which summarizes the key messages from a webinar series on implementing new fuel quality and vehicle emission standards in Asia, the milestone to complete at least one case study or establish one technical toolkit on LEDS approaches was completed. This publication, ‘Clearing the air – Supporting Asian countries to implement new fuel quality and vehicle emission standards,’ adds to the global knowledge base on fuel quality and vehicle emission standards and provides examples of steps towards successful LEDS implementation in the transport sector.
The LEDS GP also published several technical reports and case studies in the previous reporting period that continued to be accessed and utilized during the current quarter, including:
- From the Benefits WG: Presenting the benefits of low emission development strategies
- From the Transport WG: Exploring the many benefits of low carbon urban transport
- From the Subnational Integration WG: Mobilizing a local green economy – GreenCape in the Western Cape, South Africa and Gujarat state: Pioneering and scaling up solar energy in India
Through a partnership established with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) the milestone to have at least one private sector entity engage in the LEDS GP and provide technical advisory or financial services was met. The WBCSD is a CEO-led organization of forward-thinking companies that galvanizes the global business community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment. The Council provides a forum for its 200 member companies - who represent all business sectors, all continents and combined revenue of over $US 7 trillion - to share best practices on sustainable development issues and to develop innovative tools that change the status quo. The Council also amplifies its efforts through a network of 60 national and regional business councils and partner organizations, a majority of which are based in developing countries.
Challenges and Opportunities
The U.S. Government team continued to improve the monitoring and reporting system to better track the impact of the LEDS GP activities across working groups and regional platforms. Based on feedback from the previous round of reporting in FY 2016 Q3, the monitoring and evaluation team redesigned the reporting system to better align with requirements across a variety of donors. The variety of different reporting metrics across donor agencies continues to be a challenge for tracking progress efficiently.
Next Steps
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Quarter |
APG Milestones |
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FY 2016 Quarter One |
Context: Milestone contributed to LEDS GP overall goal of enhancing coordination, information exchange, and cooperation to advance climate-resilient low emission growth. This goal relates directly to one of the main objectives of the LEDS GP to provide coordination, capacity building, and relationship building among LEDS stakeholders. Completed: These milestones contributed to LEDS GP overall goal of enhancing coordination, information exchange, and cooperation to advance climate-resilient low emission growth and relate directly to one of the main objectives of the LEDS GP -- to provide coordination, capacity building, and relationship building among LEDS stakeholders. |
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FY 2016 Quarter Two |
Context: The milestone to complete at least one case study or establish one technical toolkit on LEDS approaches contibuted to LEDS GP overall goal of enhancing LEDS capacity and knowledge exchange among developing country officials and practitioners. Partially completed milestones to hold the Asia LEDS Forum and launch the LEDS GP Fellowship program relate to one of the main objectives of the LEDS GP to provide relationship building among LEDS GP stakeholders, curate forums for capacity building, and enhance cooperation to advance climate-resilient low emissions growth. Partially Complete: The quarterly milestone to complete at least one case study or establish one technical toolkit on LEDS approaches was exceeded primarily through the ongoing efforts at the Asia LEDS Partnership. The Asia LEDS Partnership created and launched an online training series that provides a curriculum with training on low emission energy planning and implementation. The second training module titled "Track 2: Low Emission Energy Planning" was launched during FY16 Q2. The Asia LEDS Partnership also completed and published a case study titled "The IRADe Activity Analysis Model and its Contributions to Low-Carbon Growth Planning in India." Additionally, while it was not reported previously, in FY16 Q1 the SNI working group published a case study titled “Towards 100% Sustainable Energy on the Caribbean Island of Saba”, and a paper on “The Coordination and Vertical Integration of Climate Actions”. Also in FY16 Q1, the LEDS LAC platform released two publications: “LEDS en LAC”, highlight LEDS initiatives in various LAC countries, and “Desarrollo resiliente y bajo en emisiones en América Latina: integrando mitigación y adaptación”, highlighting the approach of selected LAC countries on integration of climate resilience and LEDS efforts. The quarterly milestone to hold the Asia LEDS Forum was not met in this quarter, although significant progress was made towards achieving this milestone in FY16 Q3. The Asia LEDS Forum will take place on June 27 to 29, 2016 in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the concept note for this event is under active development by the Asia LEDS Partnership steering committee with input from the LEDS GP global secretariat. The quarterly milestone to launch the LEDS Fellowship Program was not met this quarter. The concept note for the LEDS Fellowship Program has been developed and approved by the LEDS GP Steering Committee, and the program is proposed to be launched piloted during FY16 Q3 or FY16 Q4, pending a revised budget. |
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FY 2016 Quarter Three |
Context: The milestones for this quarter to enhance coordination, information exchange, and cooperation to advance climate-resilient low emission growth. Complete: The quarterly mileston to hold the Africa LEDS Partnership (AfLP) regional event, which was held in Kigali, Rwanda on June 27, 2016. The event brought together 61 officials and practitioners from 23 developing countries in the region. The event provided training on mini-grids during two sessions of the Africa Carbon Forum (ACF), and allowed for numerous country consultations. These country consultations provided a clearer view on what are the priorities of the countries, and where areas of collaboration would be valued. Existing relationships were strengthened such as with Ethiopia, and new relationships were built namely with Namibia and Congo - Brazzaville. A list consolidating all the requests was compiled and some examples include the requests for Carbon Inventory support by both Malawi and Namibia; training in investment planning by Zambia; support around subnational issues in Ghana, Nigeria, and Ethiopia; and assistance in building greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories in Egypt. Complete: The quarterly milestone to engage at least one private sector entity in the LEDS GP, through the active participation of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam at the Asia LEDS Partnership Renewable Energy (RE) Workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam. EuroCham participated in the opening plenary session at the RE Workshop on June 30, 2016, providing training on barriers to private sector investment in RE in Vietnam, and holding a discussion with in-country officials and practitioners on policy measures to increase private sector engagement going forward. On the second day of the Asia LEDS RE Workshop, EuroCham delivered training on low-cost regulatory levers that can drive private-sector RE investment in Vietnam. In addition, the U.S. Government successfully completed another two milestones in FY 2016 Q3 from the previous reporting period.
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FY 2016 Quarter Four |
A new publication from the LEDS GP Transport Working Group summarizes the key messages from a webinar series on implementing new fuel quality and vehicle emission standards in Asia. This publication, ‘Clearing the air – Supporting Asian countries to implement new fuel quality and vehicle emission standards,’ adds to the global knowledge base on fuel quality and vehicle emission standards and provides examples of steps towards successful LEDS implementation in the transport sector. The milestone to have at least one private sector entity engage in the LEDS GP and provide technical advisory or financial services was met through a partnership established with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). WBCSD provided resources and trainings on mini-grids to the LEDS GP community. |
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FY 2017 Quarter One |
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FY 2017 Quarter Two |
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FY 2017 Quarter Three |
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FY 2017 Quarter Four |
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Performance Indicators
Developing country officials and practitioners strengthened through LEDS GP
LEDS policies or measures in developing countries strengthened
Major milestones achieved by partner countries that support low emission development
Major milestones achieved by partner countries which slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
The EC-LEDS and LEDS Global Partnership programs are the primary programs responsible for achieving this goal. As noted above, EC-LEDS is part of the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative. The Goal Co-managers, the USAID Global Climate Change Coordinator and the Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, also co-manage the EC-LEDS program. Day-to-day implementation is overseen by the Office of Global Change within State/Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and the Global Climate Change Office within USAID/Economic Growth, Education and Environment in cooperation with USAID Regional Bureaus, U.S. Embassies, and USAID missions in the field. For additional details, see www.ec-leds.org.
Several other USAID and State activities support the objectives of this APG. Examples include:
- SERVIR
- Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) 2020
- SilvaCarbon
- Low Emission Asian Development (LEAD)
- Climate and Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR)
- Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
- Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes
- Resources to Advance LEDS Implementation (RALI)
USAID and State Department have interagency agreements with the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Forest Service to support provision of technical expertise on energy, transportation, agriculture, and forests.
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Strategic Goals
Strategic Goal:
Promote the Transition to a Low-Emission, Climate-Resilient World while Expanding Global Access to Sustainable Energy
Statement:
Promote the Transition to a Low-Emission, Climate-Resilient World while Expanding Global Access to Sustainable Energy
Strategic Objectives
Statement:
Description:
Addressing climate change successfully demands action at home and more intensive engagement with other countries. Domestically, by 2020, the United States plans to meet its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels.
Internationally, as a result of recent progress in negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international climate regime now reflects pledges through 2020 by more than 80 countries constituting about 80 percent of global emissions, including the world’s major emitters, and holds countries accountable for their actions through regular and robust reporting and reviews. In December 2015, the 195 countries party to the UNFCCC are to conclude a new agreement addressing the global climate response in the post-2020 era. This will be a major milestone in the effort to combat climate change over the next two decades. Simultaneously, we will enhance engagement bilaterally, plurilaterally, and multilaterally to deliver results that will contribute to an ambitious and effective global response to climate change, through 2020 and beyond.
External factors that could affect our efforts include negotiating stances of other countries and domestic actions some countries take to combat climate change. The private sector plays a major role, as investment decisions such as the choice of technologies for new power generation and design of new cars and trucks can have a climate impact for years to come. Also, partnering with countries to encourage a low-emissions development path will be more successful when working with foreign governments that make combating climate change a priority.
Strategies for Achieving the Objective
Through the President’s Climate Action Plan, the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative, and USAID’s Climate Change and Development Strategy, the United States has made low-emissions, climate-resilient sustainable economic growth a priority in our diplomacy and development. Our efforts involve two major areas of engagement: (1) lowering the atmospheric accumulation rate of greenhouse gases that cause climate change; and (2) helping societies anticipate and incorporate plans for responding to potential climate change impacts. The United States is leading efforts to address climate change through international climate negotiations while enhancing multilateral and bilateral engagement with major economies. It is also enhancing partnerships with other key countries and regions. The U.S. is focusing its efforts on actions that support a successful global approach to climate change, as reflected in discussions leading up to the Paris climate conference in 2015, and for subsequent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sessions. These efforts deliver results that contribute to an ambitious and effective global response to climate change to the year 2020 and beyond.
The U.S. is building partnerships to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants and from deforestation. For example, the U.S. works to secure a global phase-down of hydro-fluoro-carbons through the Montreal Protocol. If implemented, this could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 90 gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2050. The U.S. is also building capacity for countries to undertake low-emission development policies. This work includes assisting countries to increase their capacity for cross-sector planning and formulating sectoral policies for low-emissions growth. Other efforts aim to expand clean energy generation and transmission and to increase energy efficiency while phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption. This requires mobilizing public and private investments in cleaner energy, implementing enhanced land-use practices, and building public-private partnerships that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
The Department of State and USAID’s climate-smart agriculture efforts involve implementing technologies that increase climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. State and USAID are also working to promote sustainable land uses, which combine climate change mitigation and resilience with long-term growth. Additionally, State and USAID support adaptation planning processes in vulnerable countries and communities by developing support tools that use climate science and improve access to data. These integrate climate data into planning decisions. They also strengthen public participation in climate change planning, especially by women, vulnerable populations, indigenous groups, and minorities. State and USAID back actions that increase climate resilience with respect to water security, land management, disaster planning, financial risk management, and management of biodiversity and natural resources.
The United States supports bilateral and multilateral programs by working with the most vulnerable communities, least developed and developing nations, and the major greenhouse gas emitters. Among the programs and efforts to achieve their overall climate change objectives, State and USAID have chosen to highlight efforts to support Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) as a cross-cutting Agency Priority Goal. Through LEDS assistance, State and USAID seek to guide policy-makers in analyzing, formulating, and making policy decisions enabling them to develop along a lower emission pathway, which contributes to greenhouse gas reduction efforts. The main program for providing LEDS Assistance, the Enhancing Capacity for LEDS (EC-LEDS) program is a unique State and USAID partnership that blends their respective strengths in diplomacy and development. EC-LEDS stands as a key element of U.S. climate assistance, alongside their critical efforts including: (1) the Major Economies Forum; (2) Clean Energy Ministerial; (3) Climate and Clean Air Coalition; (4) Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)2020; and (5) a range of multilateral funds, such as the Clean Investment Funds and funds focusing on adaptation such as the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund.
Statement:
Promote Energy Security, Access to Clean Energy, and the Transition to a Cleaner Global Economy
Description:
The geopolitics of energy is being transformed, as traditional energy producers address the steeply rising demand from the developing world. Changes in production patterns, such as the Western Hemisphere becoming a larger fossil fuel producer, are altering the global dynamic. The viability of new energy technologies, such as new ways to produce natural gas, and the steep fall in the cost of renewables, are changing energy market trade and consumption patterns.
At the same time, worldwide nearly 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and 2.7 billion do not have a safe way to cook food. Although Africa has abundant renewable and hydrocarbon potential, 69 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for electricity will grow 70 percent by 2035, faster than any other final form of energy. Over 80 percent of this global growth will be in non- OECD countries, with China and India accounting for half.
State and USAID are committed to working with our global partners to establish commercially viable energy sectors that can attract investment to expand access to energy, increase the use of clean energy and energy-efficient technologies, and ensure responsible, transparent, and effective stewardship of energy resources. Global access to reliable, affordable energy is vital to our economic, environment, foreign policy, and development priorities. The Department of State and USAID join together our diplomatic and programmatic efforts to build sustainable, transparent, and predictable international energy markets that advance U.S. national interests, our environmental goals, and a strong global economy.
Our prosperity and that of our international allies and partners depend on global markets for traded energy commodities such as oil and natural gas. While we must protect our energy security today, we must also foster international cooperation toward a global clean energy and energy-efficient future.
Engaging developing nations, which will be the largest contributors to growth in global energy demand in coming decades, is essential to successful energy and climate diplomacy. Expanding access to modern, affordable sustainable energy can be a win-win solution for the climate, the global economy, and development. It can curb greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, spur economic growth, and lower energy costs, while attracting private investment to emerging economies to improve national and regional power networks. Strengthening energy sector governance, transparency, and accountability supports economic growth, improves democratic prospects, reduces the potential for resource-fueled conflict, and helps U.S. businesses compete and operate in resource-rich states.
An estimated $17 trillion is needed through 2035 to meet global electricity demand, according to the IEA. Renewables are expected to account for two-thirds of new investment in generation capacity. Transformative technologies and the integration of renewable energy will not only diversify global energy supplies and be critical to meeting the world’s growing demand for electricity, but also offer U.S. manufacturers expansive commercial opportunities. Investment opportunities in global power markets are enormous. We are working to ensure that American companies are well-positioned for these new markets, especially in the fast growing emerging economies. We will continue to work for stable and transparent policy and regulatory frameworks to enable investments in national and regional markets. These markets offer economies of scale for U.S. exports in energy efficient, alternative, and renewable energy technologies.
The main external factor that could affect our work is whether the private sector can make the needed investments in energy infrastructure. This depends to a large extent on governments putting in place a sound energy sector regulatory framework and investment climate, but it also depends on market conditions and the capital that companies can commit. On the diplomatic side, if countries decide not to engage with international energy organizations, it could complicate efforts to strengthen those organizations.
Strategies for Achieving the Objective
To promote energy security, access to clean energy, and mitigate climate change by accelerating the transition to a cleaner global economy, State and USAID will support increased energy efficiency, better energy sector governance, improved energy access, stronger national and regional energy markets, and more public and private financing.
To make energy systems more efficient, commercially viable, and cleaner, State and USAID will support programs that enhance utility performance, reduce technical and commercial losses, and improve air quality. State and USAID will also support energy sector restructuring, increasing the global rate of energy efficiency, and expanding the contribution of renewable energy. This will require improved energy sector planning, including institutional capacity building, technical assistance and integrated resource planning. It will also require expanded collaborations and public-private partnerships with other countries in science, technology, and innovation in clean energy. This work further includes policy and regulatory enhancement and reform efforts to strengthen the investment climate for clean energy projects. State and USAID will also be responsive to changes in natural gas markets in order to increase global availability of this bridge fuel.
Gaining access to energy can transform lives, State and USAID will seek to increase access to reliable, affordable energy services for underserved rural and urban populations across the world. This will require accelerating development and scaling-up appropriate business and financing models for energy access. It also means supporting cross-sectoral development priorities, such as health, agriculture, and education.
State and USAID will also promote improved energy sector governance on the national level and internationally through the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Strengthening national and regional energy markets is another key step toward reaching this objective. State and USAID will contribute by advancing Presidential initiatives in Asia, the Americas, and Africa to deploy clean energy and expand cross-border trade in electricity. One initiative is Power Africa, which aims to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa, initially focusing on six countries – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania. We will also encourage international financial institutions and private sector companies to invest in power sector investments in sub-Saharan Africa. This requires mobilization of public and private sector finance. State and USAID will push for transparent and streamlined processes for due diligence, tendering, and procurement to accelerate power projects to reach financial close. State and USAID will also work for enhanced access to credit and risk mitigation.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement:
Enable economic growth concurrent with significant reductions in national emissions trajectories through 2020 and the longer term by supporting the development and implementation of low emission development strategies (LEDS). By the end of 2015, U.S. bilateral assistance under LEDS will reach at least 25 countries (from the previous baseline of 22 countries) and will result in the achievement of at least 45 major individual country milestones, each reflecting a significant, measureable improvement in that country’s development or implementation of LEDS. Also by the end of 2015, at least 1,200 additional developing country government officials and practitioners (from a baseline of 0) will strengthen their LEDS capacity through participation in the LEDS Global Partnership and that capacity will be meaningfully applied to 25 countries (from a baseline of 0).
Description:
The focus of this Agency Priority Goal (APG) is to enable economic growth concurrent with significant reductions in national emissions trajectories through 2020 and the longer term by supporting the development and implementation of low emission development strategies (LEDS). Specifically, this APG measures the progress of Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) and the multilateral Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP).
Through EC-LEDS, a multiagency U.S. Government team is working with partner countries to identify and advance effective economy-wide LEDS.
The LEDS Global Partnership is a multilateral platform for enhanced coordination, information exchange, and cooperation among countries and international programs working to advance low emission climate resilient growth that the U.S. State Department founded.
Low-emission, climate-resilient sustainable economic growth is highlighted as a U.S. diplomatic and development priority in the U.S. National Security Strategy, the President’s development policy, the President’s Climate Action Plan, and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.
Strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective:
Building on Strong Domestic Action, Lead International Actions to Combat Climate Change
Statement:
Description:
Addressing climate change successfully demands action at home and more intensive engagement with other countries. Domestically, by 2020, the United States plans to meet its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels.
Internationally, as a result of recent progress in negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international climate regime now reflects pledges through 2020 by more than 80 countries constituting about 80 percent of global emissions, including the world’s major emitters, and holds countries accountable for their actions through regular and robust reporting and reviews. In December 2015, the 195 countries party to the UNFCCC are to conclude a new agreement addressing the global climate response in the post-2020 era. This will be a major milestone in the effort to combat climate change over the next two decades. Simultaneously, we will enhance engagement bilaterally, plurilaterally, and multilaterally to deliver results that will contribute to an ambitious and effective global response to climate change, through 2020 and beyond.
External factors that could affect our efforts include negotiating stances of other countries and domestic actions some countries take to combat climate change. The private sector plays a major role, as investment decisions such as the choice of technologies for new power generation and design of new cars and trucks can have a climate impact for years to come. Also, partnering with countries to encourage a low-emissions development path will be more successful when working with foreign governments that make combating climate change a priority.
Strategies for Achieving the Objective
Through the President’s Climate Action Plan, the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative, and USAID’s Climate Change and Development Strategy, the United States has made low-emissions, climate-resilient sustainable economic growth a priority in our diplomacy and development. Our efforts involve two major areas of engagement: (1) lowering the atmospheric accumulation rate of greenhouse gases that cause climate change; and (2) helping societies anticipate and incorporate plans for responding to potential climate change impacts. The United States is leading efforts to address climate change through international climate negotiations while enhancing multilateral and bilateral engagement with major economies. It is also enhancing partnerships with other key countries and regions. The U.S. is focusing its efforts on actions that support a successful global approach to climate change, as reflected in discussions leading up to the Paris climate conference in 2015, and for subsequent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sessions. These efforts deliver results that contribute to an ambitious and effective global response to climate change to the year 2020 and beyond.
The U.S. is building partnerships to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants and from deforestation. For example, the U.S. works to secure a global phase-down of hydro-fluoro-carbons through the Montreal Protocol. If implemented, this could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 90 gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2050. The U.S. is also building capacity for countries to undertake low-emission development policies. This work includes assisting countries to increase their capacity for cross-sector planning and formulating sectoral policies for low-emissions growth. Other efforts aim to expand clean energy generation and transmission and to increase energy efficiency while phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption. This requires mobilizing public and private investments in cleaner energy, implementing enhanced land-use practices, and building public-private partnerships that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
The Department of State and USAID’s climate-smart agriculture efforts involve implementing technologies that increase climate resilience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. State and USAID are also working to promote sustainable land uses, which combine climate change mitigation and resilience with long-term growth. Additionally, State and USAID support adaptation planning processes in vulnerable countries and communities by developing support tools that use climate science and improve access to data. These integrate climate data into planning decisions. They also strengthen public participation in climate change planning, especially by women, vulnerable populations, indigenous groups, and minorities. State and USAID back actions that increase climate resilience with respect to water security, land management, disaster planning, financial risk management, and management of biodiversity and natural resources.
The United States supports bilateral and multilateral programs by working with the most vulnerable communities, least developed and developing nations, and the major greenhouse gas emitters. Among the programs and efforts to achieve their overall climate change objectives, State and USAID have chosen to highlight efforts to support Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) as a cross-cutting Agency Priority Goal. Through LEDS assistance, State and USAID seek to guide policy-makers in analyzing, formulating, and making policy decisions enabling them to develop along a lower emission pathway, which contributes to greenhouse gas reduction efforts. The main program for providing LEDS Assistance, the Enhancing Capacity for LEDS (EC-LEDS) program is a unique State and USAID partnership that blends their respective strengths in diplomacy and development. EC-LEDS stands as a key element of U.S. climate assistance, alongside their critical efforts including: (1) the Major Economies Forum; (2) Clean Energy Ministerial; (3) Climate and Clean Air Coalition; (4) Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA)2020; and (5) a range of multilateral funds, such as the Clean Investment Funds and funds focusing on adaptation such as the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement: Enable economic growth concurrent with significant reductions in national emissions trajectories through 2020 and the longer term by supporting the development and implementation of low emission development strategies (LEDS). By the end of 2015, U.S. bilateral assistance under LEDS will reach at least 25 countries (from the previous baseline of 22 countries) and will result in the achievement of at least 45 major individual country milestones, each reflecting a significant, measureable improvement in that country’s development or implementation of LEDS. Also by the end of 2015, at least 1,200 additional developing country government officials and practitioners (from a baseline of 0) will strengthen their LEDS capacity through participation in the LEDS Global Partnership and that capacity will be meaningfully applied to 25 countries (from a baseline of 0).
Description: The focus of this Agency Priority Goal (APG) is to enable economic growth concurrent with significant reductions in national emissions trajectories through 2020 and the longer term by supporting the development and implementation of low emission development strategies (LEDS). Specifically, this APG measures the progress of Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) and the multilateral Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP). Through EC-LEDS, a multiagency U.S. Government team is working with partner countries to identify and advance effective economy-wide LEDS. The LEDS Global Partnership is a multilateral platform for enhanced coordination, information exchange, and cooperation among countries and international programs working to advance low emission climate resilient growth that the U.S. State Department founded. Low-emission, climate-resilient sustainable economic growth is highlighted as a U.S. diplomatic and development priority in the U.S. National Security Strategy, the President’s development policy, the President’s Climate Action Plan, and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.
