The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P)

The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P) provides tools and research to help governments, particularly in developing countries, integrate the mitigation of greenhouse gases, air pollution, and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Central to this is the LEAP-Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC), which quantifies the health, agricultural, and climate benefits of specific pollution-reduction measures. The initiative works closely with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to support national action plans in 16 countries and conducts research on the transferability of environmental impacts and the socio-economic barriers to low-emission transitions.

• The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P) is an integrated research programme and toolset designed to help decision-makers, particularly in developing countries, address the synergies between greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Its core objectives include advancing knowledge on climate change and air pollution, identifying effective policy frameworks, and building technical and institutional capacity for integrated planning.
• The LED-P Initiative has developed the LEAP-Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC), which extends the existing Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system. This tool allows users to calculate emissions from various sources and convert them into concentrations of ozone and particulate matter, as well as quantify impacts on human health, vegetation, and climate.
• The initiative emphasizes the importance of addressing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs)—including methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—to reduce near-term warming. While CO2 reductions are necessary for long-term stability, SLCP mitigation is identified as the only way to reduce warming in the near term and provides co-benefits for human health and agriculture.
• LED-P is actively engaged in supporting national planning through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) SNAP initiative, working with 16 countries to develop national SLCP action plans. This work has influenced national pledges under the Paris Agreement, such as Mexico's inclusion of black carbon.
• The initiative conducts applied scientific research to fill knowledge gaps, including assessing the transferability of concentration-response functions for health and agriculture between regions, studying the impact of air pollution on pregnancy outcomes, and estimating timber yield losses due to ozone.
• LED-P is researching ways to make low-emission transition pathways more credible by incorporating socio-cognitive, technical, and financial barriers to change, rather than relying on purely aspirational technical scenarios.

APA

Kuylenstierna, J. C., Heaps, C., Malley, C., & Davis, M. (2016). The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P). Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-FS-2016-SEI-Initiative-Low-Emission-Development-Pathways.pdf

Chicago

Kuylenstierna, Johan C.I., Charlie Heaps, Chris Malley, and Marion Davis. The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P). Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-FS-2016-SEI-Initiative-Low-Emission-Development-Pathways.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kuylenstierna |first1=Johan C.I. |last2=Heaps |first2=Charlie |last3=Malley |first3=Chris |last4=Davis |first4=Marion |title=The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P) |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-FS-2016-SEI-Initiative-Low-Emission-Development-Pathways.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kuylenstierna2016sei, author = {Kuylenstierna, Johan C.I. and Heaps, Charlie and Malley, Chris and Davis, Marion}, title = {{The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P)}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-FS-2016-SEI-Initiative-Low-Emission-Development-Pathways.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }