Latin America and the Caribbean

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  Colombia has joined the call for a global phase-out of fossil fuels.  During climate negotiations in Dubai, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that the oil-dependent nation had joined an alliance of nations advocating for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to avoid the...

Written by: Stephen Hall Uruguay is the smallest Spanish-speaking country in South America, known for its impressive coastline, high standard of living, low poverty rates and a football team that tends to punch above its weight. It’s also one of the most sustainable countries in...

Written by: Matthew Harris If you have turned on a TV or read the news during the past few months, you have probably heard of the widespread fires that wrought havoc on the Amazon rainforest this year. Fires occur in the rainforest every year, but...

Written by: Alex Kirby If the climate crisis keeps you awake at night, the impact of what we casually throw away is sure to have you worried: it makes global heating a lot worse. But Chile’s waste bus is managing to change behaviour in a...

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...

Written by: Karla Mendes Brazilian authorities announced the seizure of almost 29 tons of shark fins in June, exposing the extent of what they described as illegal fishing in the country. It was apparently the world’s largest confiscation in history: The largest previous seizure reportedly...

Written by: Kimberly White  Global Wildlife Conservation and the Wildlife Conservation Society are working to save Mesoamerica’s five largest forests. The wildlife groups teamed up with four Central American countries, the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), Indigenous peoples, and local communities to...

Written by: Stephanie Manuzak Rainforests are an important defense against climate change because they absorb carbon. But many are being destroyed on a massive scale. In the tropics, farmers often slash and burn forests to clear fertile land for crops. The practice involves cutting down vegetation...

Written by: Natasha Ferrari and Klara Nilsson Decisions made by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will determine the future health, wellbeing and resilience of people and planet. New policy recommendations offer governments around the world the chance to maximise the economic opportunities that lie in nature,...