Economics of climate change
January 2026
The start of a new year is an opportunity to update diagnostics, renew approaches and strengthen the decision making process. From the Climate Change Unit of ECLAC, we share a selection of recent publications that provide evidence of economic, public policy analysis and strategic guidance to address climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean. An invitation to think about the development, social justice and climate action in an integrated way.
📘 Recommended reading to get started 2026
What is it about?
Analyzes how climate change deepens the traps of the development and how climate action can drive the structural transformation.
Contribution id:
Quantifies the economic impacts of climate change, and positions the climate action as an engine of investment, innovation and sustainable growth.
Regional relevance:
climate policies can accelerate the economic and social development of Latin America and the Caribbean.
What is it about?
Presents a regional vision on the instruments of pricing carbon and their effectiveness to reduce GHG emissions.
Contribution id:
Analyzes carbon taxes, emissions trading systems and their linkage with other public policies, offering guidelines to improve its design and implementation.
Regional relevance:
Reinforces the use of price signals for a decarbonisation more efficient and equitable in Latin America and the Caribbean.
What is it about?
Analyzes how climate change affects poverty child and youth, deepening social inequalities pre-existing.
Contribution id:
Linking climate impacts to key dimensions of child well-being, such as income, education, health and social protection.
Regional relevance:
Reinforces the need for climate policies with a focus on rights and of children for a just transition and inclusive in Latin America.
What is it about?
Analyze the degree of alignment between the national plans for economic development and climate goals of the Paris Agreement.
Contribution id:
Identifies progress, gaps and good practices in mainstreaming of mitigation and adaptation goals in the instruments of economic planning.
Regional relevance:
Provides evidence to strengthen the coherence between economic policy and climate commitments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
What is it about?
Evaluates the economic impacts of climate change in one of the regions most vulnerable to global warming.
Contribution id:
Quantifies economic losses associated with extreme weather events and gradual changes in climate, highlighting the costs of inaction.
Regional relevance:
Underlines the urgency of investing in adaptation and resilience as central to development strategies in Central america and the Caribbean.
What is it about?
Systematizes the experience of the first pilot analysis of climate scenarios applied to the financial sector in Mexico.
Contribution id:
Identifies learning, technical barriers, and institutional and capabilities needed to integrate climate risk in the financial evaluation.
Regional relevance:
Delivery transferable lessons to move forward in the incorporation of the analysis of climate risks in the financial systems of the region.
📰News featured
NDC LAC: key information to strengthen climate action in Latin America and the Caribbean
In the framework of the webinar “Results of the COP30: implications for climate action from the private sector”, the commission presented the digital platform regional NDC-LAC, which consolidates key information for monitoring the climate commitments of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
NDC 3.0 in Latin America and the Caribbean
On NDC LAC, you can access the updated climate commitments (NDC 3.0) of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Unit Economics of Climate Change – Division for Sustainable Development and Human Settlements