With plenty of hydropower and recent additions of wind and solar generation, Latin America and the Caribbean boasts one of cleanest electricity grids in the world. And yet, as we show in our recent flagship publication “From Structures to Services”, we are falling short of the goal of limiting warming to 1.5° C and even 2° C. Due to their declining costs, wind and solar … [Read more...] about How Better Electricity Storage Can Help Make Latin America’s Energy Generation Greener
Combating Inequality in the Covid-19 Era
Latin America and the Caribbean is the world's most unequal region, after sub-Saharan Africa, and income inequality there is getting worse as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the expected long-term effects of the pandemic, inequality is likely to continue worsening for many years to come if the right policies are not put into place. This would be a tragedy for a … [Read more...] about Combating Inequality in the Covid-19 Era
Ensuring Financial Stability in the Battle against COVID-19
With a surging pandemic, income losses, and a deepening recession, Latin America and the Caribbean is facing a health and economic crisis that will test its financial systems like few events in modern times. The blow, however, can be softened. Banks as well as governments and central banks can play a crucial role, providing financing to lessen the impact on families and firms … [Read more...] about Ensuring Financial Stability in the Battle against COVID-19
How We Measure the Productivity and Efficiency Gains of Improving Infrastructure Services
Part of our "behind the scenes" series of posts for the 2020 flagship publication From Structures to Services: The Path to Better Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean When we think about infrastructure’s contribution to the region's economies, we look at the direct effects’ investment in bridges, airports, and power grids have on growth. A new highway can … [Read more...] about How We Measure the Productivity and Efficiency Gains of Improving Infrastructure Services
How to Reduce Imprisonment in Latin America
With about 1.4 million people—including pre-trial detainees and convicts—held in penal institutions, Latin America is suffering from a dramatic incarceration crisis. Over the last ten years, the prison population in the region has grown by 76%, and today 241 people for every 100,000 in habitants are in detention, about twice the level of the European Union. Overcrowding and … [Read more...] about How to Reduce Imprisonment in Latin America