Turning Potentialities into Reality: The Importance of the Legislative Branch in Driving Decarbonization and Technological Advancement in the Productive Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Green and inclusive productive development is central to building a new development model. Developing productive capacities in decarbonizing, clean, efficient, and sustainable technologies and practices allows for a more balanced relationship with the environment and drives a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable future. Preparing for this future is essential, as it enables the adoption of a structured approach to address the upcoming challenges and opportunities, particularly concerning the climate emergency and the pressing need to build a new development model.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations proposes a Big Push for Sustainability to promote structural transformations leading to a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable future. This strategy aims to mobilize and coordinate transformative investments for a new development style, with the fundamental element being that countries expand their green and inclusive productive development policies.

In this context, it becomes important to use tools to formulate strategies that anticipate and manage future risks and opportunities, particularly useful in complex and dynamic scenarios, such as those posed by the climate emergency. The development of technical, operational, policy, and foresight capacities (TOPP) is vital to equipping state institutions with the competencies needed to manage structural and disruptive transformations, such as the transition to a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable development model, with green and inclusive productive development at its core.

The role of the Legislative Branches is crucial for countries to manage future transformations better. Legislators can play a key role by creating legislation that addresses plausible future trends and challenges, increasing institutional capacity to manage these transformations. For this, legislators must be equipped to identify and address new trends, understanding both opportunities and risks in the current and future-transforming contexts. Moreover, in the context of the challenges posed by climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), applying a forward-looking approach allows for creating and evaluating regional cooperation scenarios, promoting more resilient and integrated value chains. To achieve effective results with this approach, the knowledge and engagement of civil society organizations are crucial. Through this, parliaments in LAC can develop harmonized legislation that addresses common challenges and opportunities, such as the development of sustainable value chains.

The OPCC's side event at the GLOBE Legislators' Pavilion, co-organized by GLOBE, will address how legislators can integrate a forward-looking approach into their mandates and tackle issues related to green and inclusive productive development from the perspective of LAC countries. Parliamentarians and experts from civil society will share their experiences in a comprehensive discussion on the opportunities and challenges associated with new trends in green and inclusive productive development. This debate will cover critical elements, including the prevailing socioeconomic inequality in the region and how a just transition can effectively contribute to poverty reduction and promote social inclusion.

On this occasion, the OPCC Joint Statement to COP29, calling for inclusive green productive development, will also be presented and open for supporters to sign throughout the Conference. The event will also be an opportunity to showcase the new data from the OPCC Legislative Monitor and explain how this resource can be instrumental in assessing strategies to advance climate ambition in LAC.

For more details, to access the OPCC Joint Statement to COP 29 and the event’s Concept Note, please visit: https://linktr.ee/opcc.cepal