Energy Transition and Climate Resilience: Catalysts for Growth and Inclusion

Opinion column by Mario Cimoli (ECLAC) and Mahmoud Mohieldin (UN High-Level Climate Champion) arguing that the energy transition and climate resilience are necessary conditions for renewing inclusive growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. It notes that the region, despite contributing a minimal share of global emissions, faces high climate vulnerability, growing public debt burdens, and lagging investment. It highlights the region's endowment of strategic resources for the transition (lithium, copper, solar and wind energy), the need for innovative financial instruments — debt-for-climate swaps, natural disaster clauses, a Caribbean Resilience Fund — and the link between fossil fuel price volatility and food price increases. Written in preparation for COP27.