Low Emission Development Plans

To balance the competing need for land for agricultural expansion, infrastructural development and REDD+ activities, trade-offs need to be explored across the broader productive landscape. Low Emission Development Plans (LEDPs) provide a blueprint of how to meet the goals of economic development, while lowering carbon emissions within a chosen jurisdiction.

Under the Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (LEAF) programme, supported by USAID, SNV is working in partnership with Winrock International, Climate Focus and government partners to develop and introduce LEDPs across a number of countries in Asia, with the priority countries being Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Vietnam. LEAF will support governments in reducing their land based emissions through implementation of these plans.

Exploring the different possible options requires detailed spatial and socio-economic analysis at the land use planning unit. Based on such analysis, a suite of policies and measures can be proposed and introduced. These could include working with the local authorities to help ensure their land use planning process factors in carbon values; advising forest management units and/or forest owners on how to reduce their overall emissions; and/or engaging with local communities to introduce the use of reduced biomass local energy solutions.