LEAP developer recognized as ‘visionary leader’

For more than 20 years, Charlie Heaps has worked to develop and improve LEAP, the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system. He has travelled around the world, training hundreds of people to use the software – and teaching them new ways to think about climate and energy.

He created COMMEND, an online community for energy planners in developing countries that now has more than 20,000 members. He has applied LEAP in numerous national, sub-national, regional and global studies, and secured funding to further expand LEAP’s capabilities and to train more users.

In recent years, LEAP has become the tool of choice for many developing countries doing integrated resource planning, greenhouse gas mitigation assessments, and low-emission development strategies. Several countries also used it crafting their mitigation pledges (“intended nationally determined contributions”, or INDCs) for the upcoming Paris Climate Change Conference.

On Friday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Heaps, who was also U.S. Center director from 2006 to 2014, was honoured with one of the first-ever LEDS Global Partnership Leadership Awards, for “Leading Design”.

Heaps was one of three “champions” from around the world recognized for their “outstanding vision and action to achieve low-emission, sustainable development”. Andrea Guerrero, director of economic, environmental and social affairs in Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, won an award for “Acting on Implementation”, and Kanya Onsri, president of the Environmental Conservation and Alternative Career Community in Thailand, was recognized for “Achieving Results”.

“These LEDS leaders are transforming the way development is done on the ground,” said Ashley Allen, LEDS coordinator for the U.S. State Department, in a news release. “Their efforts show that ‎climate-smart economic development can benefit people, communities, and the environment.”

“Kanya, Andrea, and Charlie are true champions in demonstrating the value of development pathways that achieve social and economic goals with low carbon and climate resilient solutions,” added Ron Benioff, co-director of the LEDS Global Partnership. “Their tireless efforts and commitment to inclusive change is an inspiration to governments and institutions around the world and sets a model that we all aspire to follow.”

Advancing sustainable development worldwide

Guerrero has led efforts in Colombia to promote governmental action to mitigate carbon emissions and guide the country on a green growth pathway. She started the Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy (CLCDS), and is committed to making Colombia a global model of sustainable development.

Onsri has been actively working toward sustainable communities in Thailand, primarily by raising awareness about the impacts of chemical usage in agricultural production and advancing low-carbon land use strategies.

LEAP has been used by thousands of organizations in more than 190 countries around the world to guide decisions on sustainable development. LEAP and its associated training materials and documentation are available free of charge to qualified academic, governmental and not-for-profit organizations based in the developing world and to students worldwide. Consulting companies, utilities and other businesses can also get access to LEAP through affordably priced licensing arrangements.

LEAP-based analyses have informed climate and energy policies in many countries; for example, they have been used to guide policy-makers in China in setting more stringent standards, codes, and policies to help achieve their national commitment to energy reduction and emissions mitigation.

LEAP is also used extensively to build capacity for mitigation and low-emission development. For example, through the ECRAN Network, it was used to help planners in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro to assess climate and energy policy options and set emission targets.

“I feel unbelievably honoured to have won this award for my work on LEAP and COMMEND,” Heaps said. “Thanks to everyone at SEI and our partner organizations who have contributed to LEAP over the last 25 years, to the many donors who have funded its development, such as the Governments of Sweden, the U.S. and the Netherlands, and United Nations organizations. But most importantly, huge thanks to the users of LEAP who have contributed so much to its design and have made our community so vibrant and productive in addressing the challenges of low-emission development.”

Watch a short interview with Charlie Heaps


“I was very pleased to hear about this award,” said SEI Executive Director Johan L. Kuylenstierna. “The LEAP tool is used all over the world, to support countries’ efforts towards low-carbon development. It is a good example of how SEI works to translate science not just into policy but also into practice. I extend my sincere appreciation to Charlie and his team.”

The LEDS Global Partnership harnesses the collective knowledge and resources of more than 160 countries, as well as international donor and technical organizations, to strengthen climate-resilient, low-emission development efforts around the world. It delivers support through three regional platforms: the Africa LEDS Partnership, the Asia LEDS Partnership, and the LEDS Latin America and Caribbean Regional Platform.

A steering committee provides guidance and sets the Partnership’s strategic direction. A global secretariat consisting of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) coordinates implementation, knowledge management, and outreach.

Learn more about the LEDS Global Partnership »

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