Costa Rica-Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS)
Contents
Overview
"Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) is a U.S. Government initiative to support developing countries’ efforts to pursue long-term, transformative development and accelerate sustainable, climate-resilient economic growth while slowing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions"1
Framework
The following elements form a general framework that illustrates the U.S. perspective on LEDS:
- Integrated development goals and objectives, national greenhouse gas inventory, and economic and resource data
- Long-term projections of business-as-usual economic growth and greenhouse gas emission pathways
- Alternative development scenarios that achieve economic and development goals, slow the growth rate of GHG emissions and support climate change resilience
- Prioritized policies, programs and measures–identified through broad stakeholder engagement–that are necessary to achieve the low emission development pathway
- Domestic implementation plans that include strategies for attracting private sector investment and channeling international support from a range of sources and appropriate partners necessary to facilitate implementation
The United States works with partner countries and key stakeholders to respond to their unique needs and priorities through targeted technical assistance and support to:
- Enhance and strengthen existing low emission strategies, plans, and processes to ensure they are robust, transparent, and actionable
- Strengthen in-country human and institutional capacity for LEDS development, revision, and implementation
- Identify key policies, programs, and financing sources to advance low carbon growth
Lessons Learned and Good Practices
The U.S. works with each partner country, including key stakeholders, to respond to its unique needs and priorities through targeted technical assistance and support to help:
- Enhance and strengthen existing strategies, plans and supporting processes to ensure they are robust, transparent and actionable
- Work with both government and civil society partners to strengthen in-country human and institutional capacity
- Provide tools and approaches to assist with LEDS management, revision, and implementation
- Identify key policies, programs and financing sources and assist with designing policies and implementation plans that will promote climate-resilient economies and lead to lower-emission futures in key sectors and areas of the economy.
The EC-LEDS program supports and enhances country development programs, plans, and policies and complements efforts of other international donors.
Partner countries repeatedly request and require assistance on GHG inventory and the creation of a sustainable framework for updating GHG data. Additionally, many countries have requested staff support in the non-environmental ministries to ensure that the LEDS is cross-cutting and economy-wide.
Progress and Outcomes
As of November 2012, the U.S is working with more than 20 countries as part of the EC-LEDS program. The U.S. has established joint EC-LEDS work programs with 13 countries, including Albania, Bangladesh, Colombia, Costa Rica, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, the Philippines, Serbia, and Vietnam.
Fact Sheet
