Mapping sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean: sectoral and energy transition insights from sustainable bonds, 2014–2024

15 Oct 2025 | Publication

Mapping sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean: sectoral and energy transition insights from sustainable bonds, 2014–2024

  • Publication type: Studies and Perspectives – ECLAC Office in Washington
  • Author: Velloso, Helvia; Perrotti, Daniel E.; Sobreira, Rudá
  • Physical description: 36 pages
  • Publisher: ECLAC
  • UN symbol (Signature): LC/TS.2025/76
  • Date: 15 October 2025

Abstract

This study examines the role of green, social, sustainable, and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bonds in financing the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It combines a descriptive assessment of sectoral bond issuance patterns from 2014 to 2024 with an econometric exercise focusing on the region’s top five issuers. The results indicate that GSSS bonds have contributed to the expansion of renewable energy capacity but have not yet produced a structural shift in the overall energy mix. These findings underscore both the opportunities and limitations of sustainable finance, highlighting the importance of complementary policies, market reforms, and effective governance to maximize its transformative potential.

Table of contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • I. Development challenges and financing
  • II. LAC sustainable bonds, 2014–2024: sectoral insights
  • III. Empirical insights on sustainable bonds and energy transition in LAC
  • IV. Conclusion.