Fundacion Bariloche (FB) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) are pleased to announce an Advanced Training Workshop on the Use of LEAP for Analysis of NDCs in Latin America: to be held in in Bariloche, Argentina, from June 10 to 14, 2019.

LEAP, the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System, is a widely-used software tool for energy policy and climate change mitigation assessment developed by SEI, which been widely adopted by countries for climate mitigation planning including the development of NDCs, national communications and Low Emission Development Strategies (LED).

The workshop will focus on how LEAP can be used for analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation in the context of assisting countries to assess their post-2020 climate actions, otherwise known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These actions, which countries report to the UNFCCC, are intended to help the world reach global peaking of GHG emissions as soon as possible, and then undertake rapid emission reductions to achieve climate protection through net zero global emissions in the second half of this century. These reductions are expected to be undertaken in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, which are critical issues for many developing countries.

The workshop will show how analyses developed in LEAP can help countries map out their current GHG emissions trajectories, and evaluate alternative pathways that achieve their NDC goals. We will examine common strategies such as improving energy efficiency, expanding the use of renewable energy generation, and electrifying key sectors of the economy. We will also show how LEAP can be used in key non-energy related sectors. In addition to examining the GHG emissions associated with these pathways, we will also show how LEAP can be used to examine the economic costs of such strategies. In the context of sustainable development, we will also show how LEAP can be used to examine the co-benefits of certain mitigation strategies. For example, we will show how LEAP can be used to avoid human health impacts (premature mortality) and agricultural impacts (crop yield losses) through mitigation measures that also reduce air pollution.

The workshop is open to anyone using LEAP for energy and environmental policy analysis, but will focus on the advanced use of LEAP and is intended primarily for those with existing experience of using LEAP (e.g. those who attended one of FB's previous LEAP workshops over the last 17 years). Participants are expected to have previously completed exercises 1-3 of the LEAP training materials.

The workshop will occur at FB's headquarters in the city of Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, from June 10 to 14, 2019. The five-day event will be led by staff from SEI and FB and will be conducted in English and Spanish. Fluency in both languages is required. The registration deadline is May 10, 2019.

The workshop will include the following topics:

Application forms and more information:

Note: Please plan on bringing your own laptop computer. These must be Windows-based. LEAP is not designed for Apple computers.