This work is aimed at nontraditional climate policy actors such as the finance and planning ministries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The objective is to provide a glimpse into the existing, limited, regional examples of how effective climate policy may be achieved while also contributing to sustainable economic and social development. The objectives of this work are multiple: (i) identify regional, tested, growth-spurring policy options that also contribute to sustainable development; (ii) present public and private financial solutions that may enable a just transition; (iii) offer considerations on regionally relevant green recovery packages; (iv) frame these elements within the existing regional political economya necessary condition for effective implementation; and (v) identify existing knowledge gaps while suggesting research avenues to further support the adoption of relevant measures. The Latin American and Caribbean region is highly vulnerable to climate change. Historically, the region has adopted an “adaptation first” posture. The regions early adoption and implementation of the Paris Agreements Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) framework also led to some ambitious decarbonization plans, as well as to considerable advances in the energy and transportation sectors. As countries submit the second iteration of their NDCs, some coordinated whole-of-government approaches emerge. Notwithstanding some positive signs, plenty remains to be done in sectors such as agriculture. From an implementation perspective, the challenge remains the same: to transform ambitious objectives into measurable results.

Inter-American Development Bank Felipe Herrera Library Inclusive cities: healthy cities for all / edited by Nora Libertun. p. cm. -(IDB Monograph ; 984) Includes bibliographic references. 1. Environmental health-Latin America. 2. Housing and health-Latin America. 3. Health risk assessment-Latin America. 4. Urban policy-Latin America. I. Libertun, Nora. II.Inter-American Development Bank. Housing and Urban Development Division. III. Series. IDB-MG-984This publication reports on some of the health challenges facing cities. It aims to serve as a guide for public managers and decision makers optimize the great potential of cities to improve the well-being of those who reside in the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is organized in two parts. The first part, Health Inequalities in Latin American Cities, focuses on identifying the ways in which social inequality has led to negative health outcomes, in order to make visible the relevance of the challenge of inequality and the urgency to grapple with it. The second part, Urban Policies for Healthy Cities, focuses on how cities can contribute to improving the health standards in their population.The publication addresses critical issues for urban health, such as the interdependence between physical-social factors and health, the relationship between urban characteristics and the incidence of COVID-19, the connections between social inequality and exposure to pollution environment, the relationship between urban planning and gender violence, the power of urban interventions -such as public transport and social housing-to improve health indicators, and the relevance of having good data to improve the accessibility of health systems. All the contributions in this book are based on data and rigorous research, and present real cases of the cities of the region.

Crossroads with nature in Serra do Mar In Latin America, as elsewhere, sustainable infrastructure plays a vital role in improving the quality of life and supporting economic growth. It determines our capacity to engage competitively in global trade and to grow our economies. In our cities, where 80% of the region's population lives, infrastructure helps reduce poverty by enhancing access to basic services and facilitating access to knowledge and employment opportunities. What many people don't know is that sustainable infrastructure also has a lasting impact on climate resilience. Every year, natural disasters generate US$2 billion in costs in Latin America, not counting the incalculable loss of human life: in Colombia, my own country, the April 2017 rain-driven mudslides took the lives of more than 250 people. Good infrastructure is now more critical than ever to ensure that our homes become safer and more resilient to environmental shocks.

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