India-Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD) Program

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD) program is a regional initiative that supports developing countries in Asia to achieve long-term, transformative development and accelerate sustainable, climate-resilient economic growth while slowing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The LEAD program supports and enhances country-led development programs, plans, and policies, and complements efforts of other international donors and organizations to support low emission development strategies (LEDS).

The USAID LEAD program builds the capacity of government and non-governmental partners in developing and using LEDS in four interrelated areas: analysis and modeling of economic development pathways, emissions trajectories, and technology options; greenhouse gas inventories and accounting; carbon market development; and regional cooperation. The program is demand-driven and tailors its activities to specific country circumstances in up to 11 partner countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.