Mensajes Clave para una Transición Energética Justa para ALC y África

This policy brief by Transforma and Power Shift Africa outlines a framework for a Just Energy Transition (JET) in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. It advocates for a total phase-out of fossil fuels by 2040, emphasizing that the transition must be a comprehensive social, economic, and environmental transformation. The document highlights the need for grant-based financing from developed nations, the sustainable management of transition minerals, and the prioritization of energy access and social justice to address historical inequalities and the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Global South.

• In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the energy transition faces significant hurdles due to a strong reliance on fossil fuels, which accounted for 38.7% of electricity generation in 2022. Several economies, including Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, are heavily dependent on resource extraction. Fiscal dependence on the extractive sector was reported at 32.2% for Venezuela, 26.3% for Bolivia, 20.7% for Mexico, and 18.9% for Ecuador as of 2015.
• The document defines a Just Energy Transition (JET) for the LAC region as a comprehensive social, economic, and environmental transformation. This includes transitioning to sustainable and renewable energies that prioritize equity, inclusion, and human rights. Key guiding principles for LAC include social participation and inclusion (referencing the Escazú Agreement and ILO Convention 169), decent work and economic transformation—with the potential to generate nearly 15 million net jobs by 2030—and environmental justice to address historical damages to vulnerable communities.
• Africa is described as the region most vulnerable to climate change despite having the lowest carbon footprint. A critical challenge is energy access, with 600 million people lacking electricity, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. While there is immense potential for solar energy, the document notes a contradictory trend where European energy security needs (following the war in Ukraine) have renewed interest in African gas, specifically in Egypt, Algeria, and West African countries.
• The JET framework for Africa emphasizes systemic changes to move away from centralized, export-oriented fossil fuel systems toward localized, public, and community-led energy. Proposed principles include procedural justice, the establishment of comprehensive governance frameworks to prevent corruption, and financing mechanisms based on grants rather than loans to avoid increasing Africa's debt burden. It calls for 'historical polluters' to pay for their impacts.
• Comparative analysis reveals that while both LAC and Africa prioritize social participation and economic diversification to reduce fossil fuel dependence, they differ in emphasis. African CSOs focus more on social justice, energy access, and the legacies of colonialism and extractivism. In contrast, LAC discussions prioritize financing mechanisms and economic diversification, as the region is relatively more advanced in renewable energy production and energy access.
• The Global South possesses significant reserves of 'transition minerals' (such as lithium, copper, nickel, and cobalt) essential for decarbonization. The document argues that these should not lead to a 'race to the bottom' but must be managed with socio-environmental impact assessments, transparency standards (like EITI and IRMA), and the redistribution of benefits to local communities.
• For COP28, the document proposes a narrative calling for the complete phase-out (rather than just reduction) of all fossil fuels by 2040 and a total stop to new fossil fuel infrastructure expansion. It demands that developed countries provide new, additional, and adequate financial and technological support for economic diversification and the elimination of energy poverty, particularly for women who are disproportionately affected.

APA

Restrepo, G. P., Mogollón, A. M., Sánchez, C. M., Castro, M. C. C., Hernández, V. V., Morales, A., Wemanya, A., & Ally, S. (2023). Mensajes Clave para una Transición Energética Justa para ALC y África. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VIS-Policy-brief-ES.pdf

Chicago

Restrepo, Giovanni Pabón, Ana María Mogollón, Carolina Martínez Sánchez, María Camila Cruz Castro, Verónica Valencia Hernández, Andrés Morales, Amos Wemanya, and Samira Ally. Mensajes Clave para una Transición Energética Justa para ALC y África. Transforma, 2023. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VIS-Policy-brief-ES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Restrepo |first1=Giovanni Pabón |last2=Mogollón |first2=Ana María |last3=Sánchez |first3=Carolina Martínez |last4=Castro |first4=María Camila Cruz |last5=Hernández |first5=Verónica Valencia |last6=Morales |first6=Andrés |last7=Wemanya |first7=Amos |last8=Ally |first8=Samira |title=Mensajes Clave para una Transición Energética Justa para ALC y África |publisher=Transforma |date=June 2023 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VIS-Policy-brief-ES.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{restrepo2023mensajes, author = {Restrepo, Giovanni Pabón and Mogollón, Ana María and Sánchez, Carolina Martínez and Castro, María Camila Cruz and Hernández, Verónica Valencia and Morales, Andrés and Wemanya, Amos and Ally, Samira}, title = {{Mensajes Clave para una Transición Energética Justa para ALC y África}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VIS-Policy-brief-ES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }