Sustainability and development in the municipalities of the State of Paraná: mapping and analysis using the sustainable city development index of Brazil (IDSC-BR)

In consideration of the importance that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have acquired in the economic, social and environmental spheres, this article uses the sustainable city development index of Brazil (IDSC-BR) methodology to map SDG attainment in the 399 municipalities of Paraná. The main findings reveal that the municipalities with the lowest SDG fulfilment scores are concentrated in the central region of Paraná. Analysing the results by the individual Goals, the State performed best with Goal 11, sustainable cities and communitie…

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 7

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 6

Resilient growth, development and structural change in the Caribbean

Final assessment report. Assessment of development account project 2023Q Caribbean small island developing State-relevant climate change and disasters indicators for evidence-based policies

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 5

Addressing the graduation policy in Chile: raising the visibility of the structural gaps that hinder development in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document aims to reaffirm the central role played by the international cooperation system, in the different forms it can assume, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For the countries of the region to achieve the Goals, it is essential to ensure their access to technical assistance and knowledge sharing, strengthen collaborative partnerships, promote active multi-stakeholder participation and increase mobilization of funding for development. In 2017, Chile was one of three Latin American and Caribbean countries that were “graduated…

CEPAL Review No. 141. Special 75th anniversary issue: towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable development model

An assessment of urban expansion in Caribbean small island developing States. The cases of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago

The disproportionate increase in urbanized areas in relation to populations resulting in the spread of low-density urban settlements is recognized as a sustainable development challenge globally, including in Caribbean SIDS. This phenomenon has numerous adverse effects on urban settlements’ capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as the increased vulnerability of critical infrastructure to climate disasters; the formation of informal settlements in risk-prone areas; an increase in impervious surfaces affecting floods’ spatial patterns and increasing related risks; and the dest…

Access to Environmental Information in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Synthesis of Decisions Adopted by Oversight Bodies and Selected Judgements

In order to promote environmental democracy, it is necessary to strengthen access to environmental information. This right is interrelated to the other procedural rights of access to environmental participation and to environmental justice. Access to environmental information allows people to learn about the current and projected state of the environment (including damages and impacts, both potential and real); to effectively participate in decision-making processes; and to have better tools to protect their natural environment. Additionally, access to environmental information is an enabling …

Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. Accessible format

On 4 March 2018, the Latin American and Caribbean region made history when it adopted the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, at Escazú, Costa Rica. The Regional Agreement is a ground-breaking legal instrument for environmental protection, but it is also a human rights treaty. Its main beneficiaries are the people of the Latin American and Caribbean region, particularly the most vulnerable groups and communities. It aims to ensure the right of all persons to have access to information in a ti…

Road map for the implementation in Saint Lucia of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document contains the road map for the implementation in Saint Lucia of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement), prepared by the Government of Saint Lucia with the support of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Its purpose is to provide a normative and practical analysis of access rights in Saint Lucia, systematizing the progress made and the gaps that remain. A workshop-consultation was held with a number of stakeholders, including publ…

The Challenge of Accelerating the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean: Transitions towards Sustainability. Summary

Enormous challenges face the countries of the region. The risk of straying further from the path towards sustainable development is clear. There is no time for pause, let alone for setbacks. In this context, ECLAC reiterates its commitment to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by 2030, by holding the annual meetings of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, providing support for the conduct of voluntary national and local reviews on progress and challenges in relation to the SDGs, offering technical cooperation in various fields, and ot…

The Challenge of Accelerating the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean: Transitions towards Sustainability

The second half of the implementation period agreed for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is now under way. To this end, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presents herein the seventh report on regional progress and challenges in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The background to this report is a difficult global context characterized by various persistent crises that have been unfolding for several years in connection with slow economic and trade growth, climate change, forced migrations, geopol…

Report of the Second Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Second Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Panama City from 26 to 28 September 2023. This document contains the official report of the Second Annual Forum and summarizes the various panels, discussions and presentations. It also catalogues the proposals put forward by the breakout groups, which will serve as input for the preparation of the action plan on human rights defenders in environmental matters of the Escazú Agreement.…

CEPAL Review No. 142

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 4

A stock-flow ecological model for Central America

This article presents a stock-flow consistent model for the Central American economies. It is part of a project to develop a stock-flow consistent workhorse model applicable to different country cases in Latin America and the Caribbean. The model’s logical and behavioural relationships are based on a set of stylized facts characterizing the Central American economies. The model includes five institutional sectors (consumers, firms, the government, the central bank and the rest of the world). The five sectors trade in seven financial assets: (i) public debt issued in domestic and foreign curren…

The expected effects of climate change on the current account of Colombia

This study examines the expected effects of climate change on the current account of Colombia. We present a literature review that explains how the associated risks affect the balance of payments. We then project the current account balance until 2050 in different climate scenarios to establish whether the impact of these risks could affect the country’s current account over the long term. Our results indicate that, compared with a scenario in which current climate policies are maintained, achieving net zero emissions by 2050 could widen the current account deficit by the equivalent of 4.6% of…

Institutional strengthening and sustainable financing for Latin American and Caribbean cities: statements delivered at the thirty-second General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and High-level Authorities of Housing and Urbanism in Latin America and ...

The Forum of Ministers and High-level Authorities of Housing and Urbanism of Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI) is the highest institution of coordination and intergovernmental cooperation for the countries in the region when it comes to housing, urban planning and sustainable urban development. Its General Assemblies are annual instances aimed to promote the exchange of experiences, good practices and lessons learned by member countries, as well as other key actors interested in housing and urban development. In addition, this Forum allows the formation of alliances and launching of ne…