Webinars Series: Climate Change and Resilience in times of COVID-19 - 2. How to articulate Integrated Responses to the Health, Economic and Climate Crisis in LAC

Context

Once Latin American and Caribbean states have tackled the immediate health emergency of COVID-19, the region will face a period of sharp economic contraction. The need to respond quickly to avoid a severe economic shock may provide a strong argument to disregard climate considerations. Economic recovery plans post COVID-19 will require vast amounts of resources, increasing the region’s already high debt. With current and expected impacts of climate change – drought, floods, hurricanes, losses in agriculture production, energy losses and exposure to increased pandemics, among others – most countries’ capacity to respond to climate crises will be critically decreased.

In this context, it has never been more important to make the COVID-19 response strategies different to economic recovery plans seen before. Mainstreaming sustainability and climate-proof solutions has never been more important than now to improve the resilience of societies, to be prepared in the best possible way for the future. Countries should integrate sustainability into their recovery plans. This session will focus on the opportunities for coordinated public-private action to address these responses and maximize limited public resources.

Introduction and Session Overview

• Teresa Moll de Alba, Senior Manager LAC, UN Global Compact

Interactive Panel Discussion

• Gustavo Mañez, PNUMA. Coordinador Regional de Cambio Climático para América Latina y el Caribe. Respuestas integradas a las crisis sanitaria, económica y climática.
• José Luis Samaniego. CEPAL. Director de la División de Desarrollo Sostenible y Asentamientos Humanos. Espacios macroeconómicos y fiscales para la financiación ecológica.

Debate

• Andrea Meza, Director de Cambio Climático, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, Gobierno de Costa Rica.
• Simon Stiell, Ministro de Resiliencia Climática, Medio Ambiente, Silvicultura, Pesca, Gestión de Desastres, Información, Gobierno de Granada.
• Ismo Ulvila, Oficial de políticas, DG-Clima, Comisión Europea.
• Carlos Salle, Director de Políticas Energéticas y Cambio Climático.

Spanish-English interpretation will be available.

Time: 10:00 (Panama)

This event is the second part of the webinar series "Climate Change and Resilience in times of COVID-19"  organized by the United Nations Inter-Agency Issue-Based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean.