Economic implications of the ban on single-use plastics in the Caribbean: A case study of Trinidad and Tobago

Over the past 50 years, the global annual production of plastics has increased dramatically, from 15 million tons in 1964 to roughly 311 million tons by 2014. This spectacular growth has occurred due to its unrivalled physical properties, which allow it to be widely applied in diverse economic production processes, at low cost. One of its main appplications has been in the packaging industry where roughly 26% of the global volume of plastics is used. More importantly, as much as 95% of plastic packaging – estimated at USD 80 – 120 billion annually - is for single-use, either as packaging or as…

Policy Brief: Planning for resilience: an integrated approach to tackle climate change in the Caribbean

The Caribbean subregion is exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Vulnerability is a key multidimensional concept at the heart of resilience building, relating to each country’s multiple spatial and socioeconomic risks and conditions. In fact, due to its geographical location and concentration of population and activities in low-lying coastal areas, the Caribbean is the second most hazard-prone region in the world...Moreover, impacts of extreme weather events on Caribbean small economies are of national proportions. For example, in the hurricane s…

Performance indicators associated with low-carbon energy technologies in Brazil: Evidence for an energy big push

Today, Brazil and many countries around the world are seeking to stimulate economic recovery and improve people’s quality of life. In this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations has been developing the Big Push for Sustainability, a renewed approach to support the efforts of the countries of the region to design more sustainable development models, by coordinating policies to promote investments that will transform existing models. The ECLAC office in Brasilia and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in conjunction …

Caribbean in Brief: an information document for Caribbean Small Island Developing States

This brief is intended to provide general information on the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference on scaling up ocean actions based on science and innovation for the implementation of Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), with a view to stimulating more active, engaged participation of the Caribbean in the discussions. The United Nations Ocean Conference will be co-chaired by Kenya and Portugal, and hosted by the Government of Portugal in Lisbon, during 2021. The objective of this conference is consistent with the 2017 UN General Assembly proclamation on the Decade of Oce…

Overview of energy innovation investments in Brazil: data for an energy big push

Today, Brazil and many countries around the world are seeking to stimulate economic recovery and improve people’s quality of life. In this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations has been developing the Big Push for Sustainability, a renewed approach to support the efforts of the countries of the region to design more sustainable development models, by coordinating policies to promote investments that will transform existing models. The ECLAC office in Brasilia and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in conjunction …

Creating an enabling environment for e-government and the protection of privacy rights in the Caribbean: A review of data protection legislation for alignment with the General Data Protection Regulation

This study examines the data protection laws of six Caribbean countries with a view to identifying gaps and weaknesses and making targeted recommendations for revision of existing legislation or adoption of new legislation in order to bring it into compliance with regional and international standards, including the GDPR. Due to its extraterritorial scope and influence, the GDPR is prompting the harmonisation of data protection legislation around the world and a number of Caribbean countries aligned with the GDPR across the subregion will not only guarantee individual privacy rights but also he…

ECLAC presents cases of transformative investments for a sustainable economy in Brazil

On May 26th, the ECLAC office in Brasilia, together with the Brazilian Global Compact Network, held a webinar about the Big Push for Sustainability , in which more than 60 case studies of investments for sustainable development in Brazil were presented.…

Foro abordó retos de defensores ambientales en América del Sur

Más de 60 personas defensoras de derechos humanos y del medio ambiente se dieron cita los días 4 y 5 de noviembre en el Foro de Personas Defensoras del Medio Ambiente en América del Sur. El evento en línea ofreció un espacio para analizar la situación de la defensa ambiental en la región, así como para el intercambio de experiencias, buenas prácticas y recomendaciones en torno al ejercicio de esta labor en un entorno seguro. Las jornadas contaron con la participación de defensoras y defensores del medio ambiente, así como representantes de la sociedad civil de Argentina, Brasil, Bolivia, Chile…

Incentive mechanisms for clean energy innovation in Brazil: Paths for an energy big push

Today, Brazil and many countries around the world are seeking to stimulate economic recovery and improve people’s quality of life. In this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations has been developing the Big Push for Sustainability, a renewed approach to support the efforts of the countries of the region to design more sustainable development models, by coordinating policies to promote investments that will transform existing models. The ECLAC office in Brasilia and the Center for Strategic Studies and Management (CGEE), in conjunction …

A Blue Path for the Caribbean: Ocean Sustainability for Prosperity and Resilience