The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank

Think tank

A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...

 that was founded in 1985 in the United States. CCAP works on climate and air quality policy issues at the local, national and international levels. Headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, CCAP helps policy-makers around the world to develop, promote and implement market-based approaches to address climate, air quality and energy problems while trying to balance both environmental and economic interests.

Overview

CCAP was founded by Ned Helme, a leading expert on climate and air policy. Helme advises Members of Congress, state and international governments, the European Commission

European Commission

The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

 and developing countries on climate and air policy issues.

Current CCAP U.S. and International Initiatives

• Stakeholder dialogues
• Education and outreach
• Qualitative and quantitative research
• Technical analyses of emission mitigation and climate adaptation options
• Policy recommendation development

United States

CCAP leads four initiatives in the U.S. that engage all levels of government and involve stakeholders from diverse interests. These initiatives are:

• U.S. Climate Policy Program, designing policy recommendations to help shape a cost-effective climate change
  Climate change
  Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
  
  policy to reduce emissions, transition to a low-carbon economy and position the U.S. as a leader in the international climate negotiations;
• Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative, partnering with large counties and cities to build resiliency to adapt to climate change impacts through smart land-use and urban planning;
• California Climate Program, assisting California state agencies to design and implement California’s landmark climate policies, including AB 32 and SB 375; and
• Transportation and Climate Change Program, reducing transportation emissions through improved land use and travel efficiency.

Global

CCAP works extensively in Europe, Asia and Central and South America. The major international initiatives are:

• Dialogue on Future International Actions to Address Global Climate Change, combining in-depth analysis and development of policy options;
• European Climate and Energy Dialogue, developing medium- to long-term climate change, energy and finance policy for the European Union (EU);
• Developing Countries Project, collaborating with research teams in China, India, Brazil and Mexico to identify technologies and approaches to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
• Sectoral Study, exploring actions necessary for sectoral approaches to become a key tool in the mitigation of GHG emissions and as a component of a post-2012 international climate change agreement; and
• Forestry and Climate Change Program, reducing GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.