Sostenibilidad

Across the world, young people are protesting against what they describe as the inaction of leaders on climate change. Younger generations condemn decision makers for what they perceive as a ¨business as usual mentality¨ and failure to meaningfully consider sustainability issues and intergenerational justice. This is a wake-up call, we must listen to. And this is especially the case when considering infrastructure, because much of the infrastructure built today, such as roads and buildings, will be there for multiple decades thus having a long-lasting impact on society and the environment.

The clean energy transition in Brazil’s power sector is well underway. Brazil is Latin America’s largest renewable energy market with almost 45% of its energy demand comprised of renewable resources, primarily hydropower.

In this blog, we celebrate the value of IDB safeguards through the lens of our specialists across the region. Here is a brief glimpse of the work they do in environmental and social safeguards.

Climate change poses significant risks to development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

As summer draws to a close in the northern hemisphere, we should ask ourselves a question--besides the white sands and the blue sea, what else are we leaving behind? On this month we mark International Coastal Cleanup Day with a call to action—we should be mindful of how much the ocean means to us and of the alarming rise in the number of tiny particles that are creating one of the biggest environmental problems ever faced by our marine ecosystems at global level: microplastics pollution.

Why is the ocean important? The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and plays a crucial role in supporting an enormous variety of life. The ocean helps regulate the climate by absorbing excess carbon dioxide and heat. The ocean is also important for the global economy. According to the OECD (2016), its economic contribution was valued at US$1.5 trillion in 2010, a contribution that could increase to 3 trillion by 2030.