PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will embark on an aggressive climate change strategy 2022-2030 to help in effectively and efficiently addressing the climate crisis.
Building on its previous 2012-2018 climate change and development strategy focus, which focused on specific climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, the USAID stated that the new strategy takes an unprecedented whole-of-the-agency approach.
At the center of the new strategy are ambitious targets that USAID aims to achieve by 2030 that includes mitigation which supports activities that reduce, avoid, or sequester 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent; natural and managed ecosystems which supports the conservation, restoration, or management of 100 million hectares with a climate change mitigation benefit; adaptation which enable the improved climate resilience of 500 million people; finance that intends to mobilize $150 billion in public and private finance for climate change; country support that aligns the agency’s support with countries mitigation and adaptation commitments in at least 80 countries by 2024, and support partners to achieve systematic changes towards meeting those commitments in at least 40 countries and critical populations which supports the agency’s partners to achieve systematic changes that increase meaningful participation and achieve leadership in climate action of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, youth, and other marginalized and/or underrepresented groups in at least 40 partner countries.
The 5 foundational principles of the USAID will be embedded into all actions taken under this strategy that includes locally lead development; equity and inclusion; private sector engagement; nature-based solutions and evidence, technology and innovation.
The USAID pointed out that responding to the climate crisis represents an economic, technological, and socio-political opportunity for countries to transition into societies with greater equality, wellbeing, and sustained prosperity for all.
The USAID’s efforts to achieve such strategy will be organized around 2 main strategic objectives such as targeted direct action where the agency organizes the need to prioritize and confront the most urgent demands of the climate crisis and systems change where fully addressing the climate crisis requires long-term, transformative changes that affect every aspect of society and will be neither easy or quick.
Further, USAID will take a systems approach to these larger transformations such as transforming food systems to be more resilient, less wasteful and less environmentally destructive, or transitioning economic systems that are less carbon-intensive in ways that are comprehensive, equitable and locally led.
USAID’s strategic objectives are supported by a special objective to do its part as the climate strategy outlines how the agency will transform the workforce, operations and policies to substantially reduce carbon emissions, adapt to climate crisis, and further climate justice and support and expect the implementing partners to do the same.