Assessment of the effects and impacts of Hurricane Beryl on Barbados, 2024

Hurricane Beryl was the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season and the earliest-forming category 5 hurricane on record. It impacted Barbados as a category 3 storm while passing approximately 150 km south of the island, generating large swells and waves that affected the island’s south and west coasts. While the storm caused only moderate damage to basic infrastructure and did not trigger a humanitarian crisis, it caused substantial damage to coastal assets. The storm’s overall effects were estimated at 193 million Barbados dollars, equivalent to 0.15% of the country’s GDP. Damage ac…

National economic development plans and their contributions to climate goals under the Paris Agreement

Countries often count greater growth, economic development and the fight against poverty and inequality among their priorities, but they also face global challenges related to climate action and the Paris Agreement. In this regard, economic development plans should be aligned with emissions reduction and climate resilience objectives. This report presents an analysis of the extent to which elements of Paris Agreement climate commitments (focusing on nationally determined contributions) are represented in selected national green economic development plans of Group of 20 economies. Ultimately, t…

Summary of the Chair. Eighth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Latin America and the Caribbean in the Final Five Years of the 2030 Agenda: Steering Transformations to Accelerate Progress

Five years from the deadline for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, progress has fallen short of expectations a decade ago when the journey began. Many factors have impeded better progress: weak institutional capacities, limited financing and fiscal space, low growth for major trading partners, the shock of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent cascading crises. In 2025, these factors have been compounded by geopolitical tensions and disruptions that may pose new obstacles for achievement of the SDGs, as well as new…

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 Partnership for the goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.…

Latin America and the Caribbean in the Final Five Years of the 2030 Agenda: Steering Transformations to Accelerate Progress. Summary

Five years from the deadline for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean, progress has fallen short of expectations a decade ago when the journey began. Many factors have impeded better progress: weak institutional capacities, limited financing and fiscal space, low growth for major trading partners, the shock of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent cascading crises. In 2025, these factors have been compounded by geopolitical tensions and disruptions that may pose new obstacles for achievement of the SDGs, as well as new…

Annotated provisional agenda. Eighth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Provisional agenda. Eighth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development

Report of the Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean

The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) was held at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, from 22 to 24 April 2024.…

Pecuária regenerativa: definição, caracterização e recomendações de políticas

O desenvolvimento sustentável da pecuária na América Latina e no Caribe pode ser potencializado através da adoção de sistemas que contribuam para regenerar os solos. Além de suas vantagens ambientais em comparação com a pecuária convencional, os sistemas regenerativos oferecem oportunidades para aumentar a rentabilidade dos estabelecimentos. Contudo, a falta de consenso sobre uma definição de pecuária regenerativa obstaculiza a articulação e a avaliação de marcos legais nesse âmbito. O presente documento procura atender a essa necessidade. Com base num exame dos principais enfoques referentes …

Road to Seville: reform proposals for FfD4 from the United Nations regional commissions

This policy brief, prepared by the five United Nations regional commissions, identifies the critical challenges faced by emerging and developing countries in closing the financing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights systemic shortcomings in the global financing framework, including unmet development finance commitments, high public debt and a financial system misaligned with sustainability needs. The brief outlines key strategies for reform, focusing on enhancing domestic public resources, improving debt sustainability and fostering inclusive economic growth.…

Report of the Fortieth session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Economic policy and climate change: carbon pricing in Latin America and the Caribbean

Carbon pricing is one of the public policy options for discouraging production activities and consumption patterns that generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study provides an overview of carbon pricing in Latin America and the Caribbean, along with other associated economic policies. It reviews the situation regarding explicit carbon pricing via carbon taxes and emissions trading systems and the use of implicit pricing through the inclusion of the social price of carbon in public investment project evaluation procedures. It draws attention to the fact that very little use is being mad…

Guide for prioritizing and evaluating environmental remediation projects: managing mining legacies

This document contains information, methodologies and guidelines for policymakers and those responsible for implementing public policies aimed at prioritizing investment in environmental remediation projects. It presents an analysis of the concepts of environmental mining legacies and remediation, as well as their most important aspects, taking into account the heterogeneity of the definitions used in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Emphasis is placed on safeguarding human rights, environmental protection, liability for remediation of damage, and economic and financial analys…

Latin American Economic Outlook 2024: Financing Sustainable Development

In order to fund their ambitious sustainable development agendas, Latin American and Caribbean countries need to expand their financing sources. This 17th edition of the Latin American Economic Outlook proposes a series of policy options to mobilise the necessary resources, based on co-ordinated actions between policy makers, the private sector and their international partners. It argues that public resources should be invested more efficiently, tax better collected and debt better managed. Even with those improvements, private resources will be equally crucial, as public revenues will not be …

The Hummingbird Vol. 11 No. 12

CEPAL Review Nº 144

The Caribbean and artificial intelligence: past, present and future

Using benchmarking to improve urban mobility: a new tool for building smart cities in emerging countries

Currently, smart city measurements and rankings often overlook key factors, such as size, population and economic tradition, leading to unrealistic goals being set when cities with different histories are compared with unattainable benchmarks. The present article argues that considering these factors can help city planners to achieve more efficient, incremental improvements. Focusing on mobility, this study compares a mid-sized city in southern Brazil with Aarhus, Denmark, a city of similar size and economic tradition. A diagnostic tool was developed to assess the urban mobility strengths and …

Distributional implications of climate change and policy recommendations for an inclusive, just and sustainable transition

Inequality, both among and within countries, is a significant barrier to transitioning to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies. This is especially true in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, where high levels of structural inequality persist. The multiple dimensions of inequality include differences in carbon footprints and varying vulnerabilities to climate impacts. Developing nations are disproportionately affected by climate change because of their reduced capacity to cope with its impacts owing to their economic structures, poor access to basic services and geography. A mix …