Servindi, December 28, 2010 - The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) presented a report in Cancun on the potential economic costs of climate change in the region by the end of the century, if global mitigation actions are not taken.
The report entitled "Economics of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean. Summary 2010" states that if a global consensus is not reached on climate change mitigation, the region's countries will lose the equivalent of 1% of annual GDP between 2010 and 2100.
The report also states that, although Latin America and the Caribbean constitute the second least polluting world region in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the region could suffer significant consequences in terms of its impact on the population, ecosystems and economic activity.
According to Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC Executive Summary, "spontaneous technological change will not be enough (...). What is required is far-reaching reform of national and global markets so that they function well from the point of view of climate change."
She explained that this reform must work "in favor of a less carbon-intensive economy, in the framework of sustainable development with equality and social inclusion."
The economic analysis of climate change in Latin America is vital not only to identify the main transmission channels, the scale of climatic effects and the best ways of adapting to the new climate conditions, but also to formulate a long-term sustainable development strategy.
The conclusions are still preliminary, but they offer important considerations regarding the implications of climate change for the region's countries, with a view to enhancing the understanding of the economic dimension of climate change and contributing to the search for possible solutions.
This study was carried out in close collaboration with the governments of countries in the region, as well as governments of Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and an extensive network of academic and research institutions.
You can download the report in PDF format from the Servindi site:
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Traducción de Sylvia Fisher para Servindi
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