Adaptation, Clean Energy, & Sustainable Landscapes

Description

Funding for Adaptation, Clean Energy, and Sustainable Landscapes supports activities to adapt to the impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and build more resilient and sustainable economies.

What Does This Buy?

Funds are provided to partners through grants, cooperative agreements, and other mechanisms to implement programming to adapt to climate change, promote clean energy, and support sustainable landscapes.

Justification for the Request

• One billion people still lack access to any form of electricity.
• Coastal areas comprise only 20% of available land but are home to almost half of the world’s population. They are threatened by rising ocean temperatures and levels and an increasing number of weather-related emergencies.

Adaptation

By 2050, 50 million more people – equivalent to the population of Spain – will be at risk of going hungry because of climate change. In addition, there could be 25 million more malnourished children under the age of 5 – the equivalent to every child under 5 in the United States and Canada combined.

Clean Energy

The energy system represents 68% of global GHG emissions; however, only 23% of total energy production comes from renewable resources.

Sustainable Landscapes

• Agriculture, forests, and land use represent about 25% of global GHG emissions, and natural climate solutions in this sector represent up to 37% of the means to meet the 2-degree goal by 2030.
• Sustainable landscapes provide significant benefits including increased biodiversity and cleaner air and water.

U.S. Interest

• The impacts of climate change, variability, and extreme events outside of the U.S are affecting and are virtually certain to increasingly affect U.S. trade and the economy, including import and export prices, and businesses with overseas operations and supply chains.
• The impacts of climate change, variability, and extreme events will likely slow or reverse social and economic progress in developing countries, undermining international investments and assistance and increasing the need for humanitarian action and disaster relief.
• Climate change, variability, and extreme events, in conjunction with other factors, can exacerbate conflict, which has implications for U.S. national security.

Bold Vision

• Additional funds could improve adaptation and biodiversity efforts and speed the transition to clean energy.
• Funds could help local populations and economies that depend on natural resources and favorable climate conditions, such as agriculture, fishing, and tourism adapt to climate change.

Impact of Cuts

• Cuts could undermine development efforts. These programs are key to the sustainability of development projects in other sectors. Failure to fully fund these programs could result in losing the benefits of well-spent taxpayer dollars in agriculture, food, and health programs.
• Cuts could put the world’s coastal populations at risk. “In Bangladesh tens of millions of people live at sea level and will be forced to move as their land is inundated with salt water. In Indonesia, about 300 million people live near the coast and are vulnerable to sea level rise.”