MOVING TOWARDS A LOW CARBON ECONOMY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE METHODOLOGY FOR CREATING A U.S. LOW-CARBON DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Abstract

At the 2009 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, the U.S. committed to reducing national emissions 17% by 2020, and 83% by 2050. In 2010 the U.S. made further international commitments to create a low-carbon development strategy (LCDS)—a national plan to achieve emission reduction targets. However, a comprehensive strategy to achieve those emissions reductions has yet to be developed. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is interested in ensuring that the U.S. meets these obligations by creating an LCDS that results in federal action on climate change. This master’s project examines twenty-two international and domestic low-carbon strategies to determine best practices for creating an accurate and robust LCDS for the U.S. in light of the current political context. Recommendations are presented for an LCDS methodology that could be both effective and politically persuasive, and allow WWF to leverage its role as a conservation leader.