Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program: Difference between revisions

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The'''CLASP''', formerly the '''Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP),''' isimproves anthe international [[nonprofit organization]] which provides technicalenergy and policy support to governments worldwide and works to implement energy [[Minimum energyenvironmental performance standard|efficiencyof standards]]the and labelsappliances (S&L) for appliances, lighting, and equipment. Itwe specializesuse inevery publishingday, studiesaccelerating andour analysestransition withto relevancea tomore S&Lsustainable practitioners.<ref>{{cite web|title=CLASP|url=http://claspworld.ngo}}</ref>

CLASP serves as the leading international voice & resource for appliance energy efficiency policies and market acceleration initiatives. From advancing the off-grid solar technologies bringing power to energy-impoverished people, to cutting the catastrophic climate impacts of air conditioning, CLASP programs increase uptake of affordable, low-impact, high-quality appliances.

The organization was created in 1999 as a strategic cooperation of three organization – the [[Alliance to Save Energy|Alliance to Save Energy (ASE)]], the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).<ref>{{cite web|title=LBNL|url=http://eetd.lbl.gov/l2m2/clasp.html}}</ref> It became an independent, non profit [[501(c)3]] organization in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=UN Division for Sustainable Development|url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/sustdev/csd/csd15/PF/info/C_Egan.pdf|website=sustainabledevelopment.un.org|accessdate=5 October 2015}}</ref>

Appliances are a big part of our lives. Smart phones keep us connected. Heating, cooling, and lighting improve productivity and safety. Refrigeration protects the food we harvest and eat.  Without much thought, we interact with energy- and resource-consuming products every day.

CLASP conducts some of its technical analysis through an international network of partners, who are experts in the various aspects of S&L. Currently, CLASP’s network includes over 200 technical experts and S&L practitioners from more than 30 different countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=CLASP-Implementing Partners|url=http://www.clasponline.org/RFPsPartnerships/Partnerships/OurPartners/ImplementingPartners}}</ref> Additionally, CLASP collaborates with various international S&L initiatives, such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Energy Standards Information System (APEC ESIS) and International Energy Agency Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment (IEA 4E), to facilitate information exchange and connect S&L experts in similar regions or areas of expertise.<ref name="globalresearch">{{cite web|title=Where We Work - Global Research|url=http://www.clasponline.org/WhereWeWork/CurrentProgramLocations/GlobalResearch}}</ref>

Though appliances improve lives and livelihoods, they also use energy and other essential resources. Recent analyses indicate that air conditioning, not cars, pose the greatest threat to our planet. As millions of households in developing and emerging economies have the financial resources to control their indoor climate for the first time, the world is poised to install 700 million new room air conditioners by 2030 and 1.6 billion by 2050.  In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, that’s like adding several large countries to the planet.

CLASP joined the ClimateWorks Foundation (CWF) as a Global Best Practice Network (BPN) in March 2009. ClimateWorks' BPNs are institutions staffed by technical and regulatory experts who help design, implement, and enforce policies proven to reduce [[CO2 emissions]]. The ClimateWorks Foundation focuses on the sectors and regions responsible for most of the world's carbon emissions. CLASP, as part of its partnership with ClimateWorks, moved from working exclusively in developing countries to also working in more industrialized economies including the United States and European Union.<ref>{{cite web| title=ClimateWorks Foundation|url=http://www.climateworks.org/}}</ref>

Meanwhile, nearly 3 billion people prepare their meals on inefficient, pre-modern cookstoves, or over open fires, using charcoal and biomass. An estimated 1.2 billion people around the globe lack access to electricity entirely—another billion have only unreliable access. Energy poverty is a major barrier to social and economic development, and the emissions generated by inefficient and dirty cooking and lighting methods pose serious health risks, especially to women and children, and are powerful climate forcers. For most households living beyond the grid, electrification is too long coming, and for most governments, total electrification is far too expensive and resource-intensive.

In 2011, CLASP was appointed as the Operating Agent for the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative, a multilateral collaboration initiated by the [[Clean Energy Ministerial]] (CEM) and the [[International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation]] (IPEEC) to transform the global market toward higher energy efficiency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://superefficient.org/|title=SEAD Initiative}}</ref> SEAD member governments include Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Commission, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. China participates as an observer.<ref>{{cite web|title=SEAD Initiative|url=http://superefficient.org/en/Regions.aspx}}</ref>

On the grid, energy efficient appliances are one of the most cost-effective methods for mitigating climate change. They save money for governments and consumers alike, reduce peak energy demand, and bolster economic and energy security. Off the grid, energy efficient appliances pair with solar-home systems or mini-grids to increase the availability and affordability of energy. Radically reducing the cost of off-grid energy through efficient appliances improves educational, health, and economic outcomes for the world’s poorest people, while moving all of us closer to a cleaner, renewably-powered energy economy.   

==Programs==

Since 1999, CLASP has worked in over 50 countries on six continents. Some of CLASP’s past program locations include Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uruguay.<ref>{{cite web|title=CLASP, Where We Work – Past Program Locations|url=http://www.clasponline.org/WhereWeWork/PastProgramLocations/Overview}}</ref>

The organization was created in 1999 as a strategic cooperation of three organization – the [[Alliance to Save Energy|Alliance to Save Energy (ASE)]], the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).<ref>{{cite web|title=LBNL|url=http://eetd.lbl.gov/l2m2/clasp.html}}</ref> It became an independent, non profit [[501(c)3]] organization in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=UN Division for Sustainable Development|url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/sustdev/csd/csd15/PF/info/C_Egan.pdf|website=sustainabledevelopment.un.org|accessdate=5 October 2015}}</ref>

CLASP currently has programs in China, Europe, India, and the United States,<ref>{{cite web|title=CLASP, Where We Work|url=http://www.clasponline.org/WhereWeWork}}</ref> collaborating with [[policymaker]]s, regulators, and their stakeholders to facilitate the development and

implementation of energy efficiency S&L.

==Programs==

Additionally, CLASP has two global programs—Global Research and the SEAD Initiative—which create original technical research, facilitate information exchange among countries, and disseminate S&L best practices internationally.<ref name="globalresearch"/>

Since 1999, CLASP has worked in over 100 countries on six continents.

==History==