Planning for a low carbon future : lessons learned from seven country studies (English)

This is the final synthesis report of the Low Carbon Growth Country Studies Program that was led from 2007 to 2010. Developing countries are faced with the dual challenge of reducing poverty while improving management of natural capital and mitigating... See More + This is the final synthesis report of the Low Carbon Growth Country Studies Program that was led from 2007 to 2010. Developing countries are faced with the dual challenge of reducing poverty while improving management of natural capital and mitigating the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and local pollutants. The challenge is particularly acute for large, rapidly growing economies, such as India, China, and Brazil. In response to this challenge, ESMAP and the World Bank began in 2007 to provide support to countries to develop longterm frameworks for reducing GHG emissions in a way that is compatible with economic growth objectives and tied to national and sectoral plans. In total, seven studies were conducted between 2007 and 2010, for the following countries: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, and South Africa. This report collates the lessons learned from these studies and is intended as a practical guide for government officials, practitioners, and development agencies involved in low carbon development planning. Asside from the report's introduction, Chapter 2 provides a summary of the methodological and process issues, including the scope of the studies and key lessons learned. Chapter 3 explains the importance of scenario modeling to many of the studies, and describes the options and process for undertaking such work, including the modeling tools developed by ESMAP. Chapter 4 outlines the headline results from each of the seven studies, and the policy or investment outcomes where evidence exists. Finally, Chapter 5 attempts to draw out the policy conclusions from this work, including the possible implications of following a low carbon development pathway, ways to support implementation, the need for international processes to reflect realities on the ground, and priorities for future work. This report distills the lessons learned from these studies and is intended as a practical guide for government officials, practitioners, and development agencies involved in low carbon development planning.  See Less -