Climate and Environmental Initiatives
NREL plays a leading role with international climate and clean energy initiatives that achieve large greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions through accelerated renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) use.
Climate Technology Initiative
NREL serves as a technical resource to the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) to support clean energy technology transfer efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). CTI advances market-friendly approaches to accelerating the deployment and diffusion of technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance effective adaptation strategies to climate change. NREL has been a partner with CTI since its founding and has provided assistance in technology needs assessments, technology program design, and expert exchange.
Integrated Environmental Strategies Program
NREL provides technical support for the Integrated Environmental Strategies (IES) program. Initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the IES program promotes integrated planning to address local environmental concerns and also reduce associated global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The program encourages developing countries to analyze and implement policy, technology, and infrastructure measures with multiple public health, economic, and environmental benefits. Government agencies and research institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Korea have participated in the IES program.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
NREL is working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the scoping for the Special Report on Renewable Energies. In addition, NREL has formed a partnership with the Integrated Assessment Modeling Collaborative for research to improve the representation of renewable energy resources and technologies in integrated assessment models. Those models will provide key analysis and scenario input to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report.
Low Emission Development Strategies
NREL is preparing a methodology and toolkit to assist developing countries with the preparation and implementation of low-carbon clean energy growth plans.
U.S. OpenLabs Program
In partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and DOE, NREL and other DOE labs have established U.S. OpenLabs, a multilaboratory expert team that is assisting developing countries on clean energy and climate issues.
Open Energy Information (OpenEI)
NREL has established the OpenEI portal for DOE to serve as a global community platform for information on clean energy technologies, analysis, policies, and resources.
