Exploring the notion of a Caribbean emissions trading scheme: financing the greening of Caribbean economies

Between 2000 and 2019 the Caribbean Community produced between 0.11 and 0.16% of global emissions. However, despite being only minor emitters these countries find themselves highly exposed to the impact of climate change, increasingly vulnerable to floods, droughts, rising temperatures, rising sea-levels, hurricanes and coral bleaching etc. Furthermore, CARICOM Member States have submitted their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). The subregion has, however, lagged behind in the receipt of grant and concessionary su…

Educating the future workforce

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 3

Report of the Twenty-First Meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee

Regionale Overeenkomst inzake Toegang tot Informatie, Publieke Participatie en Rechtvaardigheid in Milieuaangelegenheden in Latijns-Amerika en het Caribisch gebied

Op 4 maart 2018 heeft de Latijns-Amerikaanse en Caribische regio geschiedenis geschreven toen zij in Escazú, Costa Rica, de Regionale Overeenkomst inzake Toegang tot Informatie, Publieke Participatie en Rechtvaardigheid in Milieuaangelegenheden in Latijns-Amerika en het Caribisch gebied aannam. De Regionale Overeenkomst, geïnitieerd op de Conferentie van de Verenigde Naties inzake Duurzame Ontwikkeling (Rio+20) en geworteld in de beginselen van Principe 10 van de Verklaring van Rio inzake Milieu en Ontwikkeling van 1992, is de vrucht van een twee jaar durende voorbereidende fase en negen inten…

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 2

Framework legislation on climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean. Legislative Bulletin

Climate change is a key issue on the parliamentary agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean, and its proper management can boost economic development and foster social inclusion in the region. Legislators belonging to the Parliamentary Observatory on Climate Change and Just Transition (OPCC) therefore requested their parliamentary teams, under the supervision of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) office in Brasilia, to prepare this document, which analyses the framework legislation on climate change in eight countries, selected according to criteria of diversi…

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 1

Progress in implementation of the Samoa Pathway: Caribbean regional synthesis report

This Report provides an overview of the implementation of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway adopted in 2014 in Caribbean SIDS. It assesses the progress, made as well as the gaps and challenges Caribbean SIDS experienced in implementing the Samoa Pathway. Recommendations on how these gaps and challenges could be addressed in future iterations of the SIDS Programme of Action are also defined. The Report further outlines emerging issues and potential priority actions that the subregion may wish to consider in its preparation for the Fourth …

Sustainable bond issuances in international markets, 2014–2022: characteristics, trends and greenium in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document examines the evolution of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)’s international issuance of sustainable bonds —green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds (GSSS)— since the region’s first international green bond was issued in December 2014. Reaching a cumulative total international GSSS bond issuance of US$ 100 billion in the 2014-2022 period, four main trends are identified. First, the share of GSSS bonds in the region’s total international bond issuance has increased significantly, jumping from less than 1% in 2018 to 32% in 2022. Second, while initially most…

Artificial Intelligence for Caribbean Sustainable Development

Latin American Economic Outlook 2023: Investing in Sustainable Development

Latin America and the Caribbean needs an ambitious and comprehensive investment agenda to embark on a stronger and more sustainable development trajectory. The 16th edition of the Latin American Economic Outlook proposes ways to make this possible through co-ordinated actions by policy makers, the private sector and international partners. It argues that to close existing investment gaps and overcome the region’s structural challenges, it is essential to scale up domestic and foreign investment. These investments should be a catalyst for better quality jobs and an upgraded production structure…

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 12

Director’s Desk: Artificial Intelligence for Caribbean sustainable development

2023 saw Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools becoming widely available to the general public, leading to the generation of new works of art, songs, text, and computer code. This explosion in new outputs has led to much excitement around AI’s potential, but also brought to the forefront concerns about countries and communities being left behind, and the technology’s potential to harm individuals and societies. This issue of FOCUS magazine discusses the potential impact of AI on the Caribbean, and avenues to develop tailored AI policies, governance systems, and to engage with AI issues at the int…

Introduction: Special issue commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and reflecting on the present and the future of the region

“It’s messy, but we have to do it now” – Craig Ramlal, UN advisor, on AI regulation

Few technological advances created more global buzz in 2023 than artificial intelligence: One tool captured global attention by generating text in different formats based on simple prompts; another created new covers of recent songs by singers who passed away decades ago; and others created full works of art in distinct styles based on user descriptions.…

AI Governance for the Caribbean

This year, 2023, has seen the advent of increasingly powerful Artificial Intelligence systems becoming available to the public, and greater global discourse around the safety and accuracy of these systems. Caribbean countries are actively engaging with the question of how AI systems should be governed to ensure that this powerful technology is used safely, responsibly and ethically, with a focus on accountability, minimizing risks and maximizing benefits.…

Toward AI Policies for the Caribbean

Artificial Intelligence offers extraordinary opportunities for accelerating human progress across a range of fields from healthcare and education, to combating climate change and disasters. However, if left unregulated, AI could exacerbate inequalities, undermine human rights and threaten peace.…

Environment and sustainable development: contemporary challenges for ECLAC and Latin America and the Caribbean

Environmental sustainability is a key determinant of the viability of development. Latin America and the Caribbean is imitating a global pattern of unsustainable consumption and production, whose consequences, including environmental degradation, biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and climate disruption, affect the population’s standard of living and limit its potential for growth. This paper presents stylized facts concerning the region’s development model and the way in which sustainability has been addressed in ECLAC thinking, also briefly examining other economic schools of thought. It concl…

The economics of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2023: financing needs and policy tools for the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies

Climate change is increasingly evident and is having damaging repercussions. Latin America and the Caribbean is no exception, and is in fact one of the most vulnerable regions, with droughts, forest fires and extreme storms increasing in frequency and intensity. This is occurring amid the backdrop of low growth in the region, reflected in a decade of stagnation, that jeopardizes the progress made in terms of development and, above all, limits the countries’ ability to improve the well-being of their populations in a sustainable manner. At this crossroads, climate action offers an opportunity t…