Latin America and the Caribbean are currently facing a triple development trap: low capacity for growth; high inequality and low levels of social mobility and social cohesion; and weak institutional capacities and ineffective governance. These structural challenges are compounded by low investment levels and sluggish productivity growth, which undermine the region’s long-term development potential. In this scenario, climate action represents a unique opportunity. They not only address the urgent climate crisis but also offer a pathway to tackle the region’s entrenched development challenges by stimulating growth, promoting equity, and strengthening institutions.
The side event will serve as the official launch of ECLAC’s report The Economics of Climate Change in Latin America 2025. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the region’s climate-related impacts and emission reduction commitments, analyzed through the lens of the three development traps. It concludes with a set of policy instruments designed to accelerate the transition toward low-carbon economies, offering actionable insights for decision-makers and stakeholders engaged in climate and development policy.
Objectives
- Gives and overview of climate challenges in the region amid the Development traps.
- Present policy tools to promote climate finance.
- Explore forms of economic cooperation for the mobilization of climate finance in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Present on Latin American experiences on how to channel financial flows to transformative sectors.
Moderator
José Eduardo Alatorre. Economic Affairs Officer / CEPAL
Speakers
- Carlos de Miguel Alonso. Chief of the Sustainable Development Policies Unit / CEPAL.
- Andrea Hurtado. Director General for Climate Action Policy / SEMARNAT / México.
- Gabriela Márquez . Climate Change Director / Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic (TBC)
- Juan Carlos Monterrey. Special Representative for Climate Change & National Climate Change Director / Ministry of Environment of Panama (TBC)
- European Union Representative (TBC)