Meeting in Panama, leaders celebrate Latin America’s strategic position in the global transition to clean electricity

Panama City, May 19, 2025 — As climate diplomacy heats up ahead of this year’s UN climate summit in Brazil,senior representatives of Latin American and Caribbean governments, climate leaders and diplomats from across the region will meet on May 21 in Panama City to help fast track a collective strategy for a just and inclusive energy transition away from fossil fuels in Latin America and Caribbean. This meeting, taking place during Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week (May 19–23), is a pivotal moment in shaping regional alignment and ambition ahead of COP30, which will be held this November in Belém do Pará, Brazil.  

Convened by the Energy Transition Council (ETC)—a multilateral platform of over 40 governments and institutions—the dinner is co-organized with the Talanoa Institute, Transforma Global and E3G. It will bring together ministers and senior representatives from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Panama, alongside UK officials, multilateral development banks, climate negotiators, and civil society leaders. A key announcement during the evening will come from the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), which will welcome a new Latin American national government. Co-chaired by the United Kingdom and Canada, the PPCA’s expansion in the region signals growing momentum to phase out coal and embrace clean energy solutions.

The high level dinner aims at consolidating political and technical alliances to accelerate the transition to affordable and resilient electricity in the region, with special attention to the role that Latin America can play as a global leader in renewable energy and climate innovation. 

“As we approach COP30, it is clear that Latin America is well positioned to continue leading the way with the right mix of policies, innovation, and regional cooperation,” said Abu Zaki, Head of the Energy Transition Council. “This region presents boundless opportunities for global collaboration and investment in clean energy. The Energy Transition Council will work in partnership with countries across Latin America to accelerate a just and inclusive clean energy transition.”

“The energy transition can be the great opportunity for development in Latin America,” says Natalie Unterstell, president of the Talanoa Institute. “Today, 65% of the continent’s electricity is generated by renewable sources. We are already ahead of other parts of the world, but we need to move forward and discuss strategies so that our energy is not only clean, but also resilient to climate change. The 2025 calendar favors us to turn the region’s protagonism the focus of political decisions, so this articulation is part of a longer process that should take shape by COP30.” 

Regional challenges and opportunities in the energy transition away from fossil fuels will be discussed, as well as expectations for COP30 in terms of climate finance, just transition mechanisms, and commitments to reduce emissions. For this potential to materialize, it is essential to move forward, scaling the technological solutions already available to be implemented: the energy transition no longer depends on technological innovation, but on firm political decisions that enable its effective implementation, transforming ambition into action. 

The program for May 21 includes a speech by Brazilian authorities representing the COP30 presidency, addressing the urgency of the transition to clean energy and the political and economic challenges faced by countries in the region. In addition, there will be dialogue sessions between government and civil society representatives, with the aim of developing constructive proposals for an equitable and inclusive energy transition. 

The meeting also seeks to establish the necessary political signals to boost the transition in an articulate and coordinated way – which was already fostered in the COP30 presidency’s second letter, published last week, in which André Corrêa do Lago cited Climate Week as the starting point of the “global climate effort”. As countries prepare for COP30, the event in Panama is expected to act as a starting point for aligning global and regional actors around ambitious climate goals and commitments, putting Latin America at the center of the international agenda. 

At the end of the meeting, a document with policy recommendations will be prepared, which will be submitted to the COP30 Presidency and other strategic decision-makers, with the aim of contributing with technical and political inputs to strengthen the just energy transition agenda at COP30.