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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16 Oct. 2015

Toward Low Emission Development:

Visionary Leaders Win New Annual Climate and Development Prizes

(Punta Cana, Dominican Republic)
The Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) Global Partnership has announced
the winners of its 2015 annual awards for low emission development. They are
champions from around the world demonstrating outstanding vision and action to
achieve low emission sustainable development. "These LEDS are transforming the way
development is done on the ground. Their efforts show that climate-smart economic
development can benefit people, communities, and the environment," notes Ashley
Allen, LEDS Coordinator, U.S. State Department.

The winners in the three categories are:

Leading Design: Mr. Charlie Heaps, Senior Scientist, Stockholm Environment
Institute
Acting on Implementation: Ms. Andrea Guerrero, Director of Economic,
Environmental and Social Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of
Colombia
Achieving Results: Ms. Kanya Onsri, President, Environmental Conservation and
Alternative Career Community

"We are honored to be recognizing these three winners of the first set of LEDS Global
Partnership Leadership Awards, remarked Ron Benioff, Co-Director, LEDS Global
Partnership. Kanya, Andrea, and Charlie are true champions in demonstrating the value
of development pathways that achieve social and economic goals with low carbon and
climate resilient solutions. Their tireless efforts and commitment to inclusive change is
an inspiration to governments and institutions around the world and sets a model that
we all aspire to follow.

Charlie Heaps, an American, led the development of and training on the LEAP (Long-
range Energy Alternatives Planning System) tool, which has been used by thousands of
organization in more than 190 countries around the world to inform guide decision on

sustainable development. For example, its results have been used to guide policy
makers in China in setting more stringent standards, codes, and policies to help achieve
their national commitment to energy reduction and emissions mitigation. His work with
ECRAN Network (www.ECRANetwork.org) is an example of building capacity in public
administrations in seven Western Balkan countries (Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro). Training results focused on assessing
climate and energy policy options and setting emission targets.

Andrea Guerrero, a Colombian, has led efforts in Colombia to promote governmental
action to mitigate GHG emissions and guide the country on a green growth pathway.
Andrea started the Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy (CLCDS), which aims
to strengthen Colombias economic and social development while stimulating efficiency,
competitiveness and environmental performance. Many countries have since emulated
the CLCDS. Andrea helped lead the design phase of the Colombian low carbon
development strategy in all phases, consolidating a group of people in Colombia to
create capacity for mitigation actions. As Director of Economic, Environmental and
Social Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Colombia, Andrea is
committed to making Colombia a leading global example of sustainable development.

Kanya Onsri, a Thai national, has been actively working toward sustainable communities
in Thailand, primarily by raising awareness about the impacts of chemical usage in
agricultural production and advancing low carbon land-use strategies. Ms. Onsri
founded the Sufficiency Economy learning center, visited by an estimated 2,000 people
per year. She also established the Environmental Conservation and Alternative Career
group, which counts over one hundred households in its membership. She started a
green market in Surin Municipality, selling non-chemical, resource efficient agricultural
products harvested by more than six-dozen local farmers. In addition, she has worked
with private organizations to preserve community forests and has collaborated with
organic farmers to establish a rice cooperative.


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The LEDS Global Partnership (LEDS GP) harnesses the collective knowledge and resources
of more than 160 countries, as well as international donor and technical organizations to
strengthen climate-resilient, low-emission development efforts around the world. The LEDS
GP delivers support through three vibrant regional platforms: the Africa LEDS
Partnership (AfLP), the Asia LEDS Partnership (ALP) and the LEDS Latin America and
Caribbean Regional Platform (LEDS LAC). The Latimer House Principles provide a guiding
structure for activities of the LEDS GP.
A steering committee provides guidance and sets strategic direction for the LEDS GP, and a
global secretariat consisting of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)
and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) coordinates LEDS GP
implementation, knowledge management, and outreach.