Latin America and the Caribbean

Written by: Maxwell Radwin An Indigenous community in Ecuador has finally obtained national protections for part of its territory after decades of fighting off deforestation and pollution in its mega-diverse rainforests. Ecuador’s National System of Protected Areas now includes the 5,497-hectare (13,583-acre) ancestral Tiwi Nunka Forest,...

Written by: Kimberly White  Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.  As of July 20th, retailers, supermarkets, and pharmacies can no longer use polyethylene bags. Similar to other single-use plastics bans, businesses...

Written by Kimberly White  The future of one of the world’s most biodiverse countries may become a little greener following a surprising electoral victory. Gustavo Petro and his running mate, Goldman Environmental Prize-winning environmental activist Francia Márquez, won Colombia’s 2022 presidential election, marking a significant...

Written by: Kimberly White Millions of Ecuadorians have voted in a landmark referendum to halt oil exploration and development in the Yasuni National Park in the Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Held during the first round of the nation’s presidential elections,...

Courtesy of Forests News Written by: Julie Mollins Indigenous federations and the Peruvian government are confronting obstacles caused by conflicts over land-tenure rights to implement effective climate mitigation programs, raising hopes that their innovative collaborative approach could be replicated in other regions, scientists say. Efforts to introduce REDD+ programs (Reducing...

Written by Glenda Monge Alvarado Talks about sustainability with a gender focus are rarely found. Although gender equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), it’s still somehow difficult to conceive how that focus should exist in female empowerment. That’s the reason why SEE Women...

Written by: Kimberly White On Thursday, April 11th, President Sebastián Piñera launched the COP25 climate change summit. Chile will be the host of the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference this December. President Piñera called for tougher and more ambitious steps to be taken to combat...

Written by: Kimberly White Mexico has taken a big step towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), standing at the forefront of sustainable finance innovation.  The country became the first in the world to issue a bond linked to the SDGs. Mexico is beginning its...

Written by: Stella Muzin Healing Coral doesn't want to save the planet, they want to heal with it. This initiative, officially launched in April of 2022, is not just talking about what they plan to do but actually taking action. By creating ocean-based artworks and virtual...

Written by: Kimberly White  Mexico City has been recognized for its work to combat the climate crisis. WWF has announced that Mexico City is the Global Winner of its 2020 One Planet City Challenge (OPCC). Created in 2011, the OPCC aims to mobilize cities to take...