Energy and climate change are important aspects of the US-Brazil relationship and will only become more prominent under the Biden administration. Brazil and the US are important diplomatic and trade partners in the hemisphere, and both countries have the potential to make major contributions to combating climate change and developing more sustainable and reliable energy systems. In collaboration with FGV Energia, on February 26, the Inter-American Dialogue held a private virtual roundtable on US-Brazil energy and climate cooperation.
On February 2, the Embassy of Argentina in the United States and the World Resources Institute hosted an event at which Lisa Viscidi spoke about how the Biden administration could engage with Argentina, and with Latin America and the Caribbean more broadly, on areas such as clean energy, climate change adaptation, and conservation.
Lisa Viscidi
Presentations ˙
˙ Embassy of Argentina in the United States
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.
The Institute of the Americas held a virtual roundtable December 3-4, 2020, on barriers and opportunities for hydrocarbon development in Argentina. Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries Program at the Dialogue, was a panelist at the event. She discussed president-elect Biden’s energy plans, US-Argentine relations, and clean technology investment.
Lisa Viscidi
Presentations ˙
˙ Institute of the Americas
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.
El Diálogo Interamericano preparó un informe titulado “El impacto de la política eléctrica estado-céntrica en México en el comercio, el clima y la economía”, el cual analiza los principales cambios ocurridos en la política energética de México y sus impactos en la inversión y en el medio ambiente. El informe fue presentado en un webinar el 18 de noviembre organizado por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y el Real Instituto Elcano.
An Energy Advisor Q&A featuring experts’ viewpoints on the López Obrador’s changes to the Mexican power sector.
Laura Carlsen, Pedro Niembro, Geoffrey Jones, Natalia Cosio, Larry Pascal, Juan Pomés, Dino Barajas, Fluvio Ruiz Alarcón, Ximena Herrera, Alexandro Padrés, Roxana Muñoz
Over the past two years, the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has sought to strip away central aspects of the 2013 energy reform that increased private investment in the power sector and return control of the sector to state utility CFE. These moves will reduce needed investment in the sector and lead to higher electricity costs for Mexican industry and manufacturing, affecting employment, trade, and Mexico’s ability to meet its clean energy targets, according to this new report by the Inter-American Dialogue.
2020 has been a tumultuous year for Latin America’s energy sector. The global pandemic has led to a sharp decline in oil demand and prices even as clean energy investments accelerate. With presidential elections around the corner in the United States, the future of US energy diplomacy in the region is unclear. Industry executives, government officials, and corporate representatives convened to discuss the challenges and opportunities in today’s energy markets during the virtual Fourth Annual Energy Conference.
This policy brief examines the regulatory changes in Mexico’s electric power sector made under the López Obrador administration. The brief analyzes the broader implications for Mexico’s economy and its trade and economic relations with its key trading partner, the United States. A full report will be forthcoming in October 2020.
What do the new rules in Mexico’s power sector entail, and why have the sparked controversy among energy companies and local industry groups?
Héctor Castro Vizcarra, Jeremy Martin, Víctor Rodríguez, Dino Barajas, Geoffrey Jones, Pedro Niembro, Jose L. Valera, Doris Rodriguez, Carlos Chavez, Carlos Ochoa
The recent oil price collapse, combined with the economic contraction resulting from measures to fight the global Covid-19 pandemic, will have extensive and largely unforetold impacts for Latin American energy markets and beyond. These implications include cuts to investment and delays to ongoing projects in both oil & gas and renewable energy, fiscal and broader economic constraints, and legal disputes, said panelists during a webinar held on April 1.
Caribbean islands are in many ways ideal markets for electric vehicles, and several Caribbean jurisdictions have made significant advances in promoting electric mobility. Examining five case studies—Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic—this report identifies the key challenges and recommends actions that Caribbean governments and other stakeholders can take to stimulate EV adoption.
Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham, Marcelino Madrigal, Malaika Masson, Veronica R. Prado, Juan Cruz Monticelli