Cutting Greenhouse Gases as Asia's Economy Booms

Asia has a critical need to transition to clean energy as quickly and efficiently as possible. Energy consumption in Asia's fastest-growing economies is expected to rise by over 200 percent over the next 30 years. If Asia's current heavy dependence on fossil fuels continues, the region's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are expected to increase by 300 percent over the next 30 years, with major implications for global climate change. Fossil fuel and biomass combustion also contribute to large regional hazes and acute local pollution in Asia, where 18 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are located, creating serious threats to human health and development.

Since 2007, the USAID Environmental Cooperation-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (ECO-Asia CDCP) has built partnerships to help put in place those clean energy technologies and practices that would most immediately help to address Asia's energy challenges and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

USAID's ECO-Asia CDCP takes a regional approach to its activities. By bringing together actors from across the region to share knowledge and best practices, the program accelerates the rate of learning, and helps countries develop effective and harmonized solutions to Asia's common clean energy challenges. The program works in the following areas:

• Expanding access to private financing for clean energy.
• Increasing the capacity of financial institutions.
• Scaling up financing for energy-efficiency projects.
• Building a regional dialogue and exchange on clean energy policy and regulation.
• Promoting energy-efficient lighting and regional lighting standards.
• Building regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing.