Developing countries are faced with thedual challenge of reducing poverty while improvingmanagement of natural capital and mitigating the emission ofgreenhouse gases (GHGs) and local pollutants. The challengeis particularly acute for large, rapidly growing economies,such as India, China, and Brazil. In response to thischallenge, Energy Sector Management assistance Program(ESMAP) and the World Bank began in 2007 to provide supportto countries to develop long term frameworks for reducingGHG emissions in a way that is compatible with economicgrowth objectives and tied to national and sectoral plans.In total, seven studies were conducted between 2007 and2010, for the following countries: Brazil, China, India,Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, and South Africa. This reportcollates the lessons learned from these studies and isintended as a practical guide for government officials,practitioners, and development agencies involved in lowcarbon development planning. The low carbon studies weretailored to the individual needs of each country involved.In Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Poland the studiestook the form of an economy-wide analysis of low carbongrowth potential, employing a range of data and modelingtools. The governments of China and South Africa conductedtheir own analyses, but requested the assistance of ESMAPand the World Bank for peer review and to get internationalexpertise on specific focus areas, such as energy efficiencyand renewable energy. The combined outputs, and the modelingtools developed as part of the program, represent asignificant contribution to international efforts on climatechange mitigation and low carbon development.