Identifying, improving, and investing in national commitments to just transition: Reflections from Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

A 1.5 °C world relies on the development of modern renewable energy sources in Latin America and the Caribbean. Whilst existing research offers insights into national case studies, our study responds to a lack of region-wide analysis. To identify the relative level of national commitment to a just transition in the region, this study collects, analyses, and visualizes global data from eight different sources. It uses a ranking method to analyse relative performance. To find where policy improvement is most urgently needed, trends are extrapolated on fossil fuel dependency, subsidies, and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as renewable energy production and international finance, through the lens of distributional, procedural, and restorative justice. We call for a new approach to international clean energy finance which promotes greater procedural justice whilst ensuring that green energy deployment leads to higher levels of meaningful employment.

Keywords

• Just transition
• Climate transition
• Energy transition
• Latin America
• Caribbean
• Energy economics