Section outline

  •  Low carbon development is a mitigation response at the programmatic level. The objective of low carbon development is to support the delivery of sustainable development outcomes through the utilisation of clean technology and the development of long-term low emissions development strategies.


    Principles

    Low carbon development actions should be evidence-based. They should be informed by credible analysis of emissions or other pollution from target activities. They should also be based on credible research or proven technology and actions.

    Low carbon development actions should be equitable.They should ensure that the benefits of low carbon development solutions are shared across different groups; they should consider potential social, economic and environmental impacts on different groups; and they should consider opportunities to promote the social and economic inclusion of marginalised groups.

    Low carbon development actions should be inclusive.They should engage local communities and, where possible, be locally led including the identification, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of actions.

    Actions

    Key steps in preparing a low-emission climate-resilient development strategy are:

    • Developing a multi-stakeholder planning process.
    • Preparing climate change profiles and vulnerability scenarios.
    • Identifying strategic options leading to more equitable low-emission climate-resilient development trajectories.
    • Identifying policies and financing options to implement priority climate change options.
    • Preparing a low-emission climate-resilient development roadmap.

    Resources

    Loru Forest Carbon Project (2023) in a new tab
    This case study focuses on a forest-based carbon credit project in Vanuatu supported by Live & Learn and the Nakau Programme in partnership with the local Indigenous community.

    Credit: ACFID

    Thorough reading time: 10-20 minutes
    No. of pages: 2

    Preparing Low-Emission Climate-Resilient  Development Strategies (2011) in a new tab
    This guidebook is intended to enable project managers, UNDP Country Offices, and developing country government decision makers to acquaint themselves with a variety of methodologies most appropriate to their development contexts in support of the preparation of LECRDS.

    Credit: UNDP

    Thorough reading time: 2-3 hours
    No. of pages: 24

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