Analysis

How Can Latin America Move to Low-Carbon Energy?

Latin America faces some of the toughest obstacles to halting energy emissions, but many countries in the region also have among the best opportunities to reach climate goals.

Lisa Viscidi, Rebecca O’Connor

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ The New York Times

Colombia Advances toward Electric Transportation

Electric transportation is a critical part of a clean transport agenda that can put Colombia on a path toward improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Lisa Viscidi

Event Summaries ˙

Photo of Christiana Figueres

Member in the News: Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres, Inter-American Dialogue member and Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is part of the BBC’s 100 Women 2023.

Christiana Figueres

Member in the News ˙ ˙ BBC

photo of Christiana Figueres

Member in the News: Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres was awarded the honorary title of “Dame of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. 

Christiana Figueres

Member in the News ˙ ˙ La Republica

collage of speaker headshots and image of a wind farm Video

Electrification and Innovation Among Key Private Sector Strategies in Latin America’s Energy Transition

As the energy transition gathers pace and Latin American countries raise their emissions reduction targets, private companies are revising their business models to meet demand for renewable energy and other solutions. The United States has also reemerged as a partner on climate action in the region. This webinar explored the current and potential role of the private sector in Latin America’s energy transition and how the United States can provide support.

Jamie Dorner

Event Summaries ˙

una vista de Cusco, Perú / a view of Cuzco, Peru

A More Sustainable Peru Post-Covid-19

Covid-19 has devastated the Peruvian economy. But as the country seeks to rebuild in the virus’s wake, it has a chance to focus on fighting climate change and creating a more sustainable development model. The extractive industries central to Peru’s economy are a source of underutilized revenues that could help seize this opportunity. 

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ El Comercio

Joe Biden speaking during the 20th Annual CAF Conference

Joe Biden’s Presidency: Implications for Latin America & the Caribbean

After a divisive campaign season and unprecedented election year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Joe Biden will be sworn in today as the 46th president of the United States of America. What implications will his presidency have for US foreign policy, particularly in Latin America? Our experts share their opinions in these quotes, op-eds, interviews, and Q&As from the Latin America Advisor.

Michael Shifter, Michael Camilleri, Margaret Myers, Lisa Viscidi

Pictures of the Amazon rainforest and solar panels with a blue wash

Combating Climate Change with Extractives Revenues

As economies seek to rebuild in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, there is an opportunity to accelerate climate change mitigation and adaptation and shape more sustainable economic models. Revenues from the extractive industries can provide crucial resources in this effort, according to a new report by the Inter-American Dialogue.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Reports ˙

The Future We Choose, Christina Figueres, Climate Crisis, Tom Rivett

Member in the News: Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, has co-authored and published a new book titled The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis.

Christiana Figueres

Member in the News ˙

Video

El cambio climático en Latinoamérica: Impactos y compromisos a combatirlo

La directora del Programa de Energía, Cambio Climático e Industrias Extractivas, Lisa Viscidi, habló con CNN en Español sobre el cambio climático, sus impactos en América Latina y el nivel de compromiso de países en la región a esfuerzos internacionales para combatirlo.

Lisa Viscidi

Interviews ˙ ˙ CNN en Español

Do the Amazon Fires Point the Way for Future International Efforts to Combat Climate Change?

The fires in the Amazon expose the very heart of the greatest collective action problem that humanity has faced, and it foreshadows harder battles to come. The actions of each individual country have consequences for the global climate, yet perpetrators are loath to make sacrifices when others, especially those with equal or greater responsibility, are not doing the same. The fact that threats of economic punishment seem to have shifted Brazil’s behavior suggests that a similar approach could be taken to address climate change on a larger scale. But it will not be easy, especially where the biggest emitters are concerned.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Foreign Policy

Brazil Was a Global Leader on Climate Change. Now It’s a Threat.

Brazil should build on its impressive efforts in renewable energy, clean transport, and deforestation reduction. But as President Jair Bolsonaro assumes power, one of the world’s largest economies is on the verge of relinquishing its role as an environmental leader and retreating from the fight against climate change.

Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham

Articles & Op-Eds ˙ ˙ Foreign Policy