Recuperación justa y resiliente en América Latina para enfrentar el cambio climático

The policy brief argues that most recovery packages in Latin America and the Caribbean are 'inertial' and environmentally negative, prioritizing short-term economic growth over long-term climate sustainability. It highlights a significant gap between national climate commitments (NDCs) and actual recovery spending, noting a trend toward fossil fuel subsidies and increased deforestation. The document recommends integrating social justice, gender equity, and systemic resilience into recovery plans, while urging governments to adopt green taxonomies and align financial incentives with the 1.5°C goal.

• Many Latin American and Caribbean countries have implemented recovery measures that are environmentally harmful, including the extension of fossil fuel concessions and investments in non-resilient infrastructure. Between the start of the pandemic and May 2021, nine countries—Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Panama, Bahamas, Peru, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, and Haiti—invested $4.1 billion in policies promoting fossil fuels, with 83% of these funds supporting short-term liquidity for fossil-fuel-consuming industries and transport.
• Mexico has emerged as a major subsidizer of fossil fuels, ranking as the second-highest G20 country in this regard since 2019, with $17 billion allocated to oil and gas subsidies. Additionally, Mexico's recovery packages included nearly $3.3 billion in environmentally negative policies, accounting for 76% of such investments in the region due to spending on traditional fossil energy infrastructure and coke and ethane units.
• Deforestation increased significantly during the pandemic in Colombia and Mexico. In Colombia, deforestation rose by 83% in 2020 compared to 2019, an increase of 29,000 hectares, driven by illegal logging and cattle ranching. In Mexico, Global Forest Watch estimated a loss of 68,423 hectares, attributed to reduced environmental protection measures in the rush for economic recovery.
• There is a stark disparity between the recovery spending of Latin American and Caribbean countries compared to advanced economies. As of May 2021, the region spent approximately $490 per person on reactivation, compared to $12,700 in advanced economies. Furthermore, climate spending in the region represents only 1% of total spending and 6.9% of recovery spending, far below the global averages of 4.7% and 27%, respectively.
• Recovery measures in the region are largely 'inertial' and fail to align with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While energy and agriculture are priorities in both NDCs and recovery packages, recovery spending in energy often focuses on strengthening the existing electrical grid and supporting fossil infrastructure rather than transitioning to a clean energy matrix. In sectors like waste management, which are prioritized in 15 countries' NDCs, recovery investment has been minimal.
• The pandemic exacerbated social and gender inequalities, with recovery plans failing to incorporate social justice or human capital creation. In 2020, 52% of jobs lost during the pandemic were held by women, leading to a decline in female labor participation that represents a regression of approximately 18 years, returning to 2002 levels.
• Several countries in the region are developing 'green taxonomies' to classify environmentally friendly activities and attract sustainable capital. Progress includes a Sustainable Finance Roadmap in Argentina, a Green Taxonomy Roadmap in Chile, a National Green Taxonomy and Explanatory Guide in Brazil, a public consultation for Phase 1 in Colombia, an action plan in the Dominican Republic, and a proposal for development in Mexico.

APA

Transforma (2022). Recuperación justa y resiliente en América Latina para enfrentar el cambio climático. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BRIEF-ALAS-26_01_2022.pdf

Chicago

Transforma. Recuperación justa y resiliente en América Latina para enfrentar el cambio climático. 2022. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BRIEF-ALAS-26_01_2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Transforma |title=Recuperación justa y resiliente en América Latina para enfrentar el cambio climático |date=January 2022 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BRIEF-ALAS-26_01_2022.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{transforma2022recuperacin, author = {{Transforma}}, title = {{Recuperación justa y resiliente en América Latina para enfrentar el cambio climático}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/BRIEF-ALAS-26_01_2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }