Editor’s choice
While it is broadly understood that the intertwined objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Agenda require integrated planning responses, countries are struggling to make these a reality. This initiative enables low- and middle-income countries to integrate planning to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals – the measures that underpin the two global missions.
Photo: Abraham / Getty
2020–2024
The Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development raise significant planning, policy and implementation challenges for the countries charged with achieving their aims.
Both missions affect a complex array of social, technical, political and economic issues; and both require vigorous action now. Recognizing the stakes and the interconnectedness of the underlying systems, parties to these accords have endorsed integrated planning approaches to address climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
Yet between theory and practice lies a substantial gap. Fragmented and deficient plans are the result. Moreover, an inability to link disparate development objectives can contribute to lower national ambitions at a time when greater ambition is needed.
The SEI Initiative on Integrated Climate and Development Planning responds to these challenges. Working with national planners and decision makers in lower-income countries, the initiative enables strategic approaches reach both climate and development aims. The initiative leverages technological and methodological advances. It builds and reinforces capacity of in-country planners to achieve their goals, and to enhance their ambitions.
The Integrated Climate and Development Planning Initiative builds on SEI’s existing research on assessing interdependencies between NDCs and SDGs, as well as work in the completed Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways.
Feature / A wide slate of new features makes LEAP easier to use and more comprehensive than ever for energy modelling, policymaking and research.
22 July 2024 / About Energy access, Household energy, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Public policy
Feature / Jason Veysey explains how SEI and Morocco created the country's ambitious, long-term, low-emissions development plan, highlighting lessons for other countries.
28 May 2024 / About Fossil fuels
Feature / Morocco’s 2050 net-zero strategy, supported by SEI, aims to boost GDP, create jobs, and achieve significant environmental and economic benefits.
28 May 2024 / About Climate policy, Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Renewables and Sustainable Development Goals
Feature / La stratégie zéro net de Maroc pour 2050, soutenue par SEI, vise à stimuler le PIB, créer des emplois et obtenir des avantages environnementaux et économiques.
28 May 2024 / About Climate policy, Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Renewables and Sustainable Development Goals
Perspective / The authors of this perspective ague that integrating national planning for climate mitigation and development aims can lead to traction on both agendas.
7 September 2023 / About Mitigation, Planning and modelling and Sustainable Development Goals
SEI working paper / This SEI working paper introduces AMES, a new model to conduct energy, economic and environmental assessments.
25 September 2023 / About Planning and modelling
Journal article / This paper examines how actions in Zimbabwe's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) can achieve both enhanced emissions reductions and development benefits.
18 July 2023 / About Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Sustainable Development Goals
Perspective / Countries' Nationally Determined Contributions provide a roadmap to take actions to achieve the aim of the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions.
31 May 2023 / About Mitigation and Short lived climate pollutants
Perspective / Chris Malley explains how Togo's integrated climate change and air pollution mitigation assessment has resulted in a more ambitious climate change target.
15 December 2022 / About Climate policy, Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Other publication / African leaders can act quickly across five key areas to fight climate change, prevent air pollution, and protect human health.
17 November 2022 / About Climate policy and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / Despite contributing little to climate change, Togo has identified measures to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve local air quality.
6 September 2022 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
SEI brief / This brief highlights SEI's efforts to provide low- and middle-income countries with tools and training needed to integrate climate and development planning.
5 July 2022 / About Planning and modelling and Sustainable Development Goals
Project / A scientifically robust and policy-relevant framework to identify and assess priority measures that maximize the multiple-benefits for air quality and climate.
2019 - 2023 / About Cities, Food and agriculture, Household energy, Pollution, Short lived climate pollutants and Transport
Feature / Côte d'Ivoire's updated Nationally Determined Contribution aims to reduce air pollution to benefit citizens' health and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
28 June 2022 / About Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Feature / SEI US Scientist Charlotte Wagner, a developer of the SEI Epidemic-Macroeconomic Model, answers questions about the model and how planners can use it.
16 December 2021 / About Planning and modelling
Media coverage / As COP26 comes to a close, SEI's Chris Malley speaks to BBC Radio York about his thoughts on the conference.
12 November 2021 / About Cities, Climate policy and Pollution
Feature / Find explainers, background and contacts for SEI's involvement in COP26, held from 31 October–12 November 2021 in Glasgow, UK.
29 October 2021 / About Adaptation, Climate policy, Disaster Risk, Finance, Fossil fuels and Mitigation
Perspective / Integrating health in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can motivate ambitious climate actions.
28 October 2021 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
SEI brief / SEI and partners are producing a first-of-its-kind guide for businesses to develop air pollutant emission inventories to track and reduce such emissions.
Feature / Researchers share insights from recent work that quantified the reduced air pollution and improved health that Bangladesh can achieve by implementing its NDC.
13 November 2020 / About Planning and modelling and Pollution
SEI brief / How SEI’s Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator can help plan coherent emission reduction strategies with health benefits.
7 September 2020 / About Climate policy, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Perspective / A focus on local air pollution benefits can help raise ambition for the global climate mitigation agenda in countries of all income and development levels.
4 September 2020 / About Pollution
Journal article / Improving assessments and evaluating strategies to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants by vulnerable groups.
15 March 2020 / About Food and agriculture, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / Artificial neural networks are developed and applied to empirically model long-term O3 exposure and assess impacts over the continental US from 2000 to 2015.
14 February 2020 / About Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Perspective / Our response to the Covid-19 pandemic will determine whether we will meet humanity's next major climate change and sustainable development challenges.
29 May 2020 / About Climate policy, Finance, Fossil fuels and Pollution
Feature / An expert group, including SEI, issued a call for scientists and policymakers to develop a Covid-19 recovery plan linking health, climate and the environment.
27 May 2020 / About Pollution, Short lived climate pollutants and Sustainable lifestyles
Feature / Countries can now model energy storage and assess the health impacts of indoor air pollution for different groups including women and children.
14 May 2020 / About Mitigation, Pollution, Sustainable Development Goals and Transport
Feature / SEI researchers discuss the health impacts of air pollution, and the related health questions and policy lessons emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic.
23 April 2020 / About Pollution
SEI working paper / This SEI working paper introduces AMES, a new model to conduct energy, economic and environmental assessments.
25 September 2023 / About Planning and modelling
Journal article / This paper examines how actions in Zimbabwe's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) can achieve both enhanced emissions reductions and development benefits.
18 July 2023 / About Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Sustainable Development Goals
Journal article / This paper assesses whether a roadmap to achieve the Global Methane Pledge can be developed through targets from countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.
14 March 2023 / About Pollution
Other publication / African leaders can act quickly across five key areas to fight climate change, prevent air pollution, and protect human health.
17 November 2022 / About Climate policy and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / This study evaluates the inclusion of SLCP and air pollutant mitigation within NDCs that were submitted between 2015 and 2022.
5 January 2023 / About Climate policy, Pollution, Public policy and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / This paper estimates the short-lived climate pollutant emission reductions from Costa Rica's decarbonization plan.
5 January 2023 / About Climate policy, Fossil fuels, Mitigation, Pollution, Public policy and Short lived climate pollutants
Perspective / Chris Malley explains how Togo's integrated climate change and air pollution mitigation assessment has resulted in a more ambitious climate change target.
15 December 2022 / About Climate policy, Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / Despite contributing little to climate change, Togo has identified measures to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve local air quality.
6 September 2022 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
SEI brief / This brief highlights SEI's efforts to provide low- and middle-income countries with tools and training needed to integrate climate and development planning.
5 July 2022 / About Planning and modelling and Sustainable Development Goals
Feature / Côte d'Ivoire's updated Nationally Determined Contribution aims to reduce air pollution to benefit citizens' health and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
28 June 2022 / About Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / This article presents a new model that integrates asssessment of health impacts of food consumption and food production emissions.
1 July 2021 / About Food and agriculture
Journal article / In this journal article, researchers from SEI York discuss climate change mitigation and sustainable development planning in Nigeria.
16 September 2021 / About Cities, Pollution and Public policy
SEI brief / SEI and partners are producing a first-of-its-kind guide for businesses to develop air pollutant emission inventories to track and reduce such emissions.
Journal article / Improving assessments and evaluating strategies to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants by vulnerable groups.
15 March 2020 / About Food and agriculture, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / Artificial neural networks are developed and applied to empirically model long-term O3 exposure and assess impacts over the continental US from 2000 to 2015.
14 February 2020 / About Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / LEAP-IBC is a tool to develop integrated strategies to improve air quality, human health and mitigate climate change.
5 October 2020 / About Planning and modelling, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
SEI brief / How SEI’s Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Integrated Benefits Calculator can help plan coherent emission reduction strategies with health benefits.
7 September 2020 / About Climate policy, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Journal article / This comment in the International Journal of Public Health urges the global scientific and policy community to work together on Covid-19 recovery measures.
26 May 2020 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Sustainable Development Goals
Journal article / Impact reductions from SLCPs, CO2, and other air pollutants for Nepal are examined under different scenarios.
27 January 2020 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Feature / A wide slate of new features makes LEAP easier to use and more comprehensive than ever for energy modelling, policymaking and research.
22 July 2024 / About Energy access, Household energy, Planning and modelling, Pollution and Public policy
SEI working paper / This SEI working paper introduces AMES, a new model to conduct energy, economic and environmental assessments.
25 September 2023 / About Planning and modelling
Tool / The SEI Epidemic-Macroeconomic Model is software to help countries develop Covid-19-adjusted economic baselines for sustainable development planning.
About Planning and modelling
Tool / The Next Energy Modeling system for Optimization (NEMO) is a high-performance, open-source optimization tool designed to answer energy policy questions.
About Adaptation, Mitigation, Planning and modelling and Renewables
Journal article / LEAP-IBC is a tool to develop integrated strategies to improve air quality, human health and mitigate climate change.
5 October 2020 / About Planning and modelling, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Tool / The Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) is a powerful, versatile system for energy planning and climate change mitigation assessment.
About Adaptation, Mitigation, Planning and modelling and Pollution
Past event / Watch SEI's tutorial unveiling the exciting new features of our flagship integrated energy modelling software, LEAP.
17 July 2024 / About Climate policy, Household energy, Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Public policy and Renewables
Past event / SEI teams have developed tools that can support long-term integrated climate and development planning using the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP).
24 October 2023 / About Business, Climate policy, Energy access, Food and agriculture, Forests, Household energy, Land use, Mitigation, Planning and modelling, Pollution, Public policy, Renewables and Sustainable Development Goals
Past event / At the first Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, SEI's Chris Malley discussed efforts to reduce the region's air pollution in a webinar hosted by CCAC.
28 March 2022 / About Mitigation, Pollution and Short lived climate pollutants
Past event / Watch this webinar on SEI's new Epidemic-Macroeconomic Model, a tool to analyse the economic impacts of the pandemic on sustainability planning.
11 April 2022 / About Planning and modelling
Past event / As part of a UN webinar, SEI's Jason Veysey discusses how to maximize synergies between climate mitigation efforts and sustainable development goals.
19 January 2021 / About Planning and modelling and Sustainable Development Goals
Past event / Raising climate ambition in the context of economic development and human health - that was the topic of this webinar.
08 December 2020 / About Climate policy
Past event / Online webinar exploring holistic ways to tackle air pollution, health, COVID-19 recovery and climate change.
07 September 2020 / About Cities, Pollution and Sustainable Development Goals
Past event / At a UNFCCC/UNDESA webinar, SEI and other thought leaders discuss how to maximize climate and sustainable development synergies in COVID-19 recovery plans.
28 May 2020 / About Mitigation and Sustainable Development Goals
Past event / Demonstration of our flagship decision support system for integrated planning of energy, climate change mitigation and air pollution abatement.
19 May 2020 / About Climate services, Planning and modelling and Renewables
Perspective / Our response to the Covid-19 pandemic will determine whether we will meet humanity's next major climate change and sustainable development challenges.
29 May 2020 / About Climate policy, Finance, Fossil fuels and Pollution
Tool / The Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) is a powerful, versatile system for energy planning and climate change mitigation assessment.
About Adaptation, Mitigation, Planning and modelling and Pollution
Feature / Countries are working to strengthen their NDCs and boost emission reductions. We take a look at how NDCs are created and the challenges they face.
20 September 2019 / About Climate policy, Mitigation and Pollution
SEI brief
22 June 2016 / About Adaptation, Climate policy, Climate services, Pollution and Public policy
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