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Climate Change Mitigation

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Climate Change Mitigation CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION CASE STUDY Lighting the way to a brighter future The world knows all too well the With a population of 1.3 billion, growing at 1.2% per year, India is a heavy hitter in the world of global emissions. But while threat that climate change poses to the country is the globe’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter human health, economies and the after the US and China, it also has big ambitions in terms of energy efficiency. environment. The energy sector accounts for With energy savings of 50-70% some 71% of India’s emissions, a compared to other technologies, The commitment shown in the Paris Agreement proves fact the government is committed expansion of the venture’s this. But even with the Paris pledges, the planet is heading to changing through an aggressive LED lighting initiatives alone for a temperature rise of 2.9 to 3.4°C this century alone, far rollout of energy efficiency is expected to save over 7.5 above the 1.5°C limit recommended by UN Environment’s programmes, including a plan to million tonnes in CO2-equivalent Emissions Gap Report 2016. Without further action to hit be the world’s first country to use emissions in the years to 2022. LEDs for all its lighting needs. the 1.5°C target, we can expect climate impacts that will Meanwhile, through the roll out hamstring the world’s development ambitions – from more- “It will be message that India of tri-generation, which combines intense storms, to longer droughts and rising sea levels. acts rather than making big simultaneous heating, cooling and And the longer we delay, the more it will cost, and the more promises,” according to Power electricity generation, and smart difficult it will be to protect future generations. Minister Piyush Goyal. grid technology, which enables advanced load forecasting, load UN Environment and partners are control, outage management and United action is needed. And it can’t wait. At the backing India’s green ambitions theft detection, the partnership UN Environment Climate Change Mitigation Unit, we are through Creating and Sustaining is boosting energy efficiency working with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Markets for Energy Efficiency, while proving the value of partners around the world to make that action a reality. a Global Environment Facility- greener technologies in the supported project to boost the commercial market. uptake of efficiency lighting and With a 25-year track record of success, we are helping other technologies. “All these are new technologies countries to reduce and prevent greenhouse gas emissions. and business models, yet untested Together, UN Environment and the GEF are providing the The project is supporting Indian in India,” Energy Efficiency Services technical know-how, funding and implementation experience public-private venture Energy Ltd Director Saurabh Kumar says, Efficiency Services Ltd to “the GEF grants will be used to needed to improve energy efficiency, promote renewable expand the market for LED street open up these markets.” energy, and encourage low-carbon technologies. From lighting and domestic lighting, transport, to power generation, to energy efficient homes, while providing the expertise “Global partnerships such as industries and cities, we have worked together on more than necessary for the venture to these will accelerate our efforts 140 projects. UN Environment-led projects funded under test new technologies such in mitigating climate change and as super-efficient ceiling fans, provide hope for a better future for the current GEF 6 cycle alone have mitigated CO -equivalent 2 tri-generation technologies and the coming generations.” emissions of almost 7.5 million tonnes to date. smart grid-applications. UN Environment-GEF Climate Change Mitigation project countries The UN Environment-GEF partnership in Mitigation UN Environment and the GEF are working together to identify, Currently, the UN Environment-GEF Climate Change Mitigation develop and implement global, regional and country-specific portfolio comprises 62 projects worth over $212 million, projects to tackle the issues of climate change. These projects assisting 113 countries around the world to meet their assist countries to meet their emissions reduction targets, and climate-related goals. help make their economies more competitive and robust. Over the past 25 years we have collaborated on 146 projects across 139 countries, with the GEF investing over $338 million in UN Environment-led initiatives to date. All dollar ($) amounts refer to US dollars. Why UN Environment? As a science-based organization, with over 40 years of frontline experience guiding the international environmental agenda, advising on environmental policy and implementing projects from the national to the global level, UN Environment offers its country partners a unique breadth and depth of expertise. We convene and contribute to a range of multi-stakeholder platforms to Technical expertise and resources build partnerships and develop and share knowledge and best practice on climate change issues. Recognized as a leading expert in the field of markets and offers tailored assistance to climate change mitigation, UN Environment governments to develop and implement has developed a range of tools and initiatives strategies and projects to achieve fast that are now being used internationally to and sustainable market transformation Global policy advance climate change mitigation efforts: District energy, through the Global District Energy in Cities Initiative: This Vehicle fuel efficiency, via the Global multi-stakeholder partnership is UN Framework Convention on Climate Fuel Economy Initiative: Supported coordinated by UN Environment, with Change: UN Environment played with GEF funding, this partnership financial support from the GEF, the an integral part in the negotiation of brings together UN Environment, Danish International Development the Convention, and the GEF serves the International Energy Agency, Agency, and the Italian Ministry of the as its financial mechanism. The OECD International Transport Environment. It aims to accelerate the UN Environment-GEF partnership Forum, International Council on transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient helps countries to meet their reporting Clean Transportation, Institute for cities through modern district energy obligations by supporting the completion Transportation Studies at UC Davis, systems. The partnership is comprised of of key inputs, including Intended and the FIA Foundation, to make real 38 public and private partners, including Nationally Determined Contributions, improvements in fuel economy in industry associations, manufacturers, Technology Needs Assessments, vehicles around the world. The Initiative utilities, financiers, city-networks, and National Communications and Biennial promotes these objectives through non-government groups. Currently, Update Reports. We recently assisted shared analysis, advocacy, and in-country the Initiative is working with 15 cities over 70 countries to report their policy support via the Cleaner, More across Bosnia and Herzegovina, commitments to reduce emissions, and Efficient Vehicles Tool Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Morocco, helped more than 50 to develop their Efficient appliances, via United for Serbia and Russia Technology Needs Assessments Efficiency: Led by UN Environment, Greener Cities Partnership: This National governments and regional with GEF funding, the United Nations partnership between UN Environment trade bodies: UN Environment, with Development Programme, the and UN-Habitat aims to strengthen GEF funding, works with governments International Copper Association, CLASP synergies between the two agencies and and trade bodies to develop policies and the Natural Resources Defense among their partners, highlighting local- that promote energy-efficient products, Council, this public-private partnership global linkages in environmental issues, energy investments, and clean modes informs policy makers of the potential bringing an environmental perspective of transport. Through platforms such environmental, financial and economic to urban policymaking and incorporating as the Global Fuel Economy Initiative, savings of transition to high-efficiency urban perspectives into environmental United for Efficiency and the En.lighten products, identifies and promotes policy decisions Initiative, we work with regional political global best practices in transforming and economic organizations to set and lift standards collectively – enabling truly global progress on key issues Project highlights En.lighten: En.lighten supported 48 demonstration project options. As an “If we don’t start taking countries in adopting national or regional example, Bogotá, Colombia, is now efficient lighting strategies, setting integrating a new local building energy additional action now… the groundwork for annual electricity performance code into the city’s master we will grieve over the savings of over 25 TWh – equivalent to plan, opening the way to a 31% reduction 8,600 MW of power generation capacity, in greenhouse gas emissions from avoidable human tragedy. $2.75 billion in economic savings, and energy consumption in homes to be The growing numbers of a 14-million-tonne reduction in CO2 built for an estimated 2.7 million new emissions – equivalent to taking 7.8 citizens by 2050 climate refugees hit by million passenger cars off the road Global Fuel Economy Initiative: hunger, poverty, illness and The Building Efficiency Accelerator: This initiative
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