Renewables Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean Edition

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region generates 19% of its electricity from wind and solar, exceeding the global average. While nearly half of the 33 LAC countries have pledged net-zero emissions by 2050, an implementation gap persists. The region possesses a third of global lithium, copper, and silver reserves, though investment has historically favored extraction over local manufacturing. Recent trends show a rise in electric vehicle sales and a shift in Venezuela toward solar generation to improve grid stability.

• As of November 2025, the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region generated 19% of its electricity from wind and solar, which is higher than the global average of 17.6%.
• Nearly half of the 33 countries in the LAC region, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, and Brazil, have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, 16 countries are part of the Renewables in Latin America and the Caribbean (RELAC) initiative, aiming for at least 80% renewable electricity by 2030.
• Venezuela has historically lagged in wind and solar development, but is now shifting toward solar to address 'chronic' grid reliability issues. Wind and solar capacity in Venezuela rose from 0.05 GW in 2023 to 18.67 GW by 2025.
• The LAC region contains at least one-third of global reserves of silver, copper, and lithium. However, investment over the last 20 years has focused on extraction rather than developing local manufacturing for batteries or electric vehicles.
• Electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Latin America grew significantly in 2024, led by Brazil and Mexico, with EVs making up over 6% of new passenger car sales, an increase of 4 percentage points from the previous year.
• Energy efficiency in LAC is underexploited with an average annual reduction of 0.4%, despite the region having lower energy intensity than any other global region except the European Union.
• Renewable energy expansion in the region must be managed via safeguard frameworks to prevent human rights violations, such as forced relocation, and environmental damage in biodiversity hotspots.

APA

Team, Z. (2026). Renewables Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean Edition. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewables-bulletin-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-edition/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Renewables Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean Edition. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2026. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewables-bulletin-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-edition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Renewables Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean Edition |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=13 January 2026 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewables-bulletin-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-edition/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2026renewables, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Renewables Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean Edition}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/renewables-bulletin-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-edition/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }