The Government of Peru held the Presidency of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in 2014 and played a leading role in the diplomatic preparations for the following year's historic Paris climate change summit.  In this first of a new series of CDKN short films, we document and celebrate the Peruvian national process to - in the words of former Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar Vidal - take steps toward a 'carbon neutral economy'.

Peru's national process included building an evidence base on the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and mapping out options to reduce or avoid further emissions - all while working to eradicate poverty. The process is called 'Plan CC' and it provided the building blocks for Peru's Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC.  Watch the film below: Plan CC - Tackling Climate Change in Peru.

Plan CC has been measuring current greenhouse emissions in Peru and modelling future emissions and the effects of climate change since 2012. This first phase produced 77 mitigation options. The options take in the wide range of activities that will be needed across Peru's diverse environments - from the megacity of its capital Lima into the Amazonia region and high Andes.

The second phase of Plan CC worked with decision-makers to put forward innovative solutions that could meet this potential for mitigation. The project sought to incorporate climate change into planning processes at a national level as well as at a regional level. For example, the project has developed approaches to encourage reforestation through providing locals with alternatives to destructive farming and timber cutting practices - forest clearance is one of the country's primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable forest management provides one of the leading climate and development solutions.

Plan CC’s study of Peru’s carbon footprint has also pinpointed the opportunities for Peruvian industry to adopt lower energy solutions - through efficiency measures -  and to use greener energy sources.

Plan CC is a project led by several Peruvian government departments. The technical coordination is undertaken by Libélula and the financial support comes from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and CDKN.

Image: brazil nut harvester, Peruvian Amazon, credit CIFOR.