The solution to the climate crisis inevitably runs through Latin America and the Caribbean. This statement may surprise some (we are not used to the region being the protagonist of major global trends), but it is necessary to take it into account in order to dimension our role in the sustainability of the planet.

On the one hand, natural ecosystems such as the Amazon, the Caribbean, the Argentine and Chilean moors, Patagonia, the Atlantic Forest, the Tumbes forests in Chocó and Magdalena in Colombia, or the Gran Chaco, to name just a few examples , a crucial role in mitigating extreme weather events, regulating the climate and sequestering carbon. At the same time, we have an undeniable climate potential: we have 25% of the world’s forests, 70% of biodiversity, a third of freshwater, we provide 14% of global food production and are home to 33% of mammals, 35% of the reptiles, 41% of the birds and 50% of the amphibians.

These natural benefits demonstrate why the region is a region of solutions to climate change, and have ramifications in sectors such as energy transition, adaptation, food security, nature-based solutions or biodiversity protection.

This is exactly the message we need to spread at the Dubai Climate Summit (COP28) to ensure our voice, approach and solutions have a greater presence in the climate negotiations. First, from CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean), we announce an investment of $15,000 million until 2030 to promote adaptation measures and management of natural disaster risks.

In addition, for the first time in the history of climate summits, we held the LAC Pavilion, a space for meeting, debate and analysis on the most burning issues of climate action in the region, available to Latin American and Caribbean delegations. media, NGOs, community leaders and civil society.

In this space we analyze the added value of the region on the different fronts of climate change. For example, at agricultural level, a sector already suffering from the effects of global warming in the form of land degradation (14% of this takes place in the region), a reduction in desirable crops or the proliferation of weeds and pests, Latin America and the Caribbean have enviable potential. According to the FAO, we have the highest share of arable land (28%) and the world will need 60% more food by 2050.

Latin America and the Caribbean also have a lot to say about the energy transition, which is essential to limit global warming, in line with the Paris Agreement. To achieve a rapid transition and achieve global carbon neutrality by 2050, we will need to sustainably utilize the region’s water, biomass and mineral resources. While this transition must take place quickly, it must also be fair and inclusive, ensuring that accessible, continuous and safe energy is available to all people.

COP28 is an ideal setting to justify the role of Latin America and the Caribbean in solving the climate crisis. In Dubai, clear commitments are expected (especially from the most polluting countries) to reduce emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but also more resources for adaptation measures, urgent in developing countries, which have paradoxically contributed little to climate change. will suffer the worst consequences.

Latin America and the Caribbean’s leadership in global climate action represents a great opportunity for the region, but it is also a necessity for the planet. Our climate solutions, our natural resources and our strategic ecosystems are essential to achieving sustainable economies and living in a more just, livable and sustainable world. (OR)