USAID to back activities intended to reduce 6 billion metric tons of CO2 in 2022-2030 DevelopmentAid

The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) has unveiled its Climate Strategy 2022-2030. This aims to support a number of activities intended to reduce greenhouse gases as well as take action to address climate changes in the countries that USAID provides assistance to and within the agency itself.

USAID’s objectives in partner countries

USAID has listed two strategic objectives. The first is to facilitate direct targeted actions that will address the most urgent actions to mitigate and adapt to climate changes. This objective involves:

reducing greenhouse gases emissions and sequestering carbon in all the countries USAID cooperates with
strengthening the climate resilience of those populations vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
increasing access to and the flow of finance to support mitigation and adaptation
ensuring indigenous peoples and local communities fight climate changes
engaging and empowering women and young people to lead climate actions

The second strategic objective is to drive systems change, improve and transform governance, economic and financial systems in the states that USAID cooperates with to help them to achieve net-zero emissions. Therefore, USAID is planning to transform key systems and remove such constraints as corruption and mismanagement to adjust national policies and standards so that achieving net-zero emission will be feasible.

Moreover, USAID wants to help its partners to make a shift towards sustainable development while maintaining economic growth and reducing emissions at the same time. The second objective also aims to strengthen governance and the engagement of citizens while addressing climate actions as well as improving the coordination between different humanitarian organizations whilst delivering humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding assistance so that aid is more comprehensive and effective and offers better support to communities that face displacements or other crises caused by climate changes.

USAID’s own objectives

USAID is also planning to introduce appropriate measures to limit its own impact on the environment while conducting its operations. Thus, USAID wants to reduce operational emissions and increase the energy efficiency of its infrastructure, vehicle fleet, and staff travel. The agency is also planning to support all partnering organizations to implement similar changes.

USAID’s planned achievements

The USAID Climate Strategy also includes the targets the agency is planning to achieve by introducing climate actions, specifically to:

reduce, avoid or sequester as much as 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in its partner countries by 2030
mobilize US$150 billion of private and public finance to fight climate changes
improve the climate resilience of 500 million people worldwide
support at least 80 partner countries in creating their national plans for the adaptation to and mitigation of climate changes
support the protection, restoration, and management of 100 million hectares of land
back structural changes that will allow the engagement and improve the leadership of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, and youth in climate actions in at least 40 partner states.

USAID plans that at least half of these states will be able to prove significant progress in achieving climate commitments by 2030.