The Ties that Bind: Strengthening U.S. – LAC Educational Exchange for Public Diplomacy
December 4, 2025 • 10:00 – 11:00 am EST
Hosted by Americas Program
COP26: The Perfect Opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean to Champion a Just Transition to Net Zero
Photo: abriendomundo via Shutterstock
This publication is part of a series of commentaries authored by advisory group members of the Just Transition Initiative (JTI). This series highlights the diverse perspectives and expertise of the JTI advisory group on different aspects of the low-carbon transition and its implications for equitable development.
The disproportionate impact from the pandemic and extreme weather events to the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region highlights the urgent need for a just and equitable transition to net zero in LAC. The region has a unique opportunity to step up at the upcoming COP26 by building just transition priorities into two foundational energy initiatives. The Renewable Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean (RELAC) Initiative and the implementation of the Observatory of Energy Management Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by sources of climate finance, have the potential to help deliver on the region’s energy and climate goals while also generating the new economic and employment opportunities needed for a new green economy that works for all.Full Commentary
Leonardo Beltran is the former deputy secretary for planning and energy transition in Mexico. He holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). He also studied law at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
Commentary is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s).
© 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
The disproportionate impact from the pandemic and extreme weather events to the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region highlights the urgent need for a just and equitable transition to net zero in LAC. The region has a unique opportunity to step up at the upcoming COP26 by building just transition priorities into two foundational energy initiatives. The Renewable Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean (RELAC) Initiative and the implementation of the Observatory of Energy Management Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by sources of climate finance, have the potential to help deliver on the region’s energy and climate goals while also generating the new economic and employment opportunities needed for a new green economy that works for all.
Commentary is produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s).
© 2021 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.