The USAID Global Climate Change Office and the USAID Resources to Advance LEDS Implementation (RALI) Project are excited to release the finalized Clean Energy Emission Reduction (CLEER) Protocol.

The CLEER Protocol provides USAID missions, programs, and projects with a consistent way to estimate and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduced or avoided from USAID’s clean energy activities, such as generating renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and switching to cleaner fuels. Example activities include installation of solar or hydroelectric power systems, the use of biofuels, and the adoption of more energy efficient equipment.

In addition, any clean energy or climate practitioner can use the Protocol to evaluate GHG emission reductions for clean energy projects.
 
The Protocol, developed for USAID by ICF International, includes GHG accounting approaches that align with international accounting standards and contains detailed methodologies and default data sets that can facilitate estimating emission reductions from a wide variety of clean energy activities. The Protocol provides both consistency and transparency for accurate reporting on GHG impacts.

The Protocol contains specific calculation methodologies for the following technologies:

• General Renewable Energy
• General Energy Efficiency
• Fuel Switching
• Solar Photovoltaic Systems
• Solar Thermal Systems
• Wind Turbine Systems
• Hydroelectric Systems
• Geothermal Systems – Power Generation
• Geothermal Systems – Heat Pumps
• Geothermal Systems – Direct Heat
• Biomass Energy
• Anaerobic Digesters for Manure Management
• Building Energy Efficiency
• Appliance & Equipment Efficiency
• Transmission and Distribution System Upgrades
• Stranded Natural Gas Capture Systems

This Protocol has achieved the “Built on GHG Protocol” mark, indicating that it is based on and consistent with the Policy and Action Standard developed under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The CLEER Protocol includes similar basic concepts, steps, and principles as the Policy and Action Standard, but is tailored to the specific context of quantifying GHG reductions from clean energy activities implemented or supported by USAID.
 
The document is available online as part of the suite of CLEER Tool resources.

Additional resources:

• CLEER Tool profile
• CLEER Tool website includes all CLEER materials, including the online tool, user guides, and Excel-based calculators.
• CLEER Fact Sheet provides additional background on the CLEER tool and resources.

Any feedback or questions on the CLEER Protocol or Tool can be sent to CLEERHelp@icfi.com.