Inter-American Dialogue Introduces Newly Named Energy Transition and Climate Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2023
Contact: Inter-American Dialogue
press@thedialogue.org
Washington, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue, the preeminent think-tank dedicated to Western Hemisphere affairs, is pleased to announce the relaunching of the Energy Transition and Climate Program.
The Dialogue’s Energy Transition and Climate Program aims to catalyze a just energy transition, expand access to clean, secure, and affordable energy, and build climate resilience in the Western Hemisphere through independent research and analysis. By convening experts, policymakers, the private sector, and civil society across the hemisphere to share action-oriented best practices, the program fosters collective action to advance the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.
“I am thrilled to announce the new direction of the program,” said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president and CEO. “Latin America and the Caribbean are already suffering from the effects of climate change, including droughts and floods that threaten food and water security and catastrophic storms that jeopardize safety and livelihoods. These impacts contribute to the hemisphere-wide migration crisis.”
The program will continue to work on core issues such as geopolitical developments and political trends impacting the energy sector, natural resource governance policy, climate policy for a just transition, regional energy integration, energy security, and grid modernization. However, it will also expand its focus towards dynamic issues such as regulatory frameworks for de-risking investments, access to climate finance, clean energy supply chains, commercialization of innovative green technology, corporate net zero and ESG strategy, nature-based solutions for adaptation, and hemispheric climate diplomacy.
“Latin America is richly endowed with renewable resources,” explained Program Director Daniela Stevens. “However, the region remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels and lacks access to climate financing for adaptation. As a program, we hope to consolidate as one of the most salient platforms to promote climate justice and a hemispheric just energy transition through multi-stakeholder dialogues and balanced analysis.”
“Climate change has unequal adverse effects on gender, health, and education throughout the Western Hemisphere,” remarked Luz María De La Mora, former undersecretary for foreign trade in Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy. “The Energy Transition and Climate Program will be a critical part of the efforts underway to win the race against humanity’s greatest existential threat. The program is uniquely positioned to underscore that climate and energy justice require women’s leadership and social inclusion, leaving no one behind.”
The program relaunch will be accompanied by several new initiatives and events in the coming weeks. Topics will cover climate adaptation in the Caribbean, climate finance in LAC, US-Latin America energy diplomacy, and more. For more information, see the program’s updated webpage.
For four decades, the Inter-American Dialogue has engaged our network of global leaders to foster democratic governance, prosperity, and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, we work to shape policy debate, devise solutions, and enhance cooperation within the Western Hemisphere.
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