The 6th Meeting of Ministers of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) under the theme Renewable Energies of the Americas: Integration and Innovation, took place on March 14th and 15th, 2024, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
This high-level event brought together government leaders, private sector representatives, energy and sustainable development experts, and other key stakeholders from Latin America and the Caribbean to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and establish concrete commitments to drive the transition towards clean, sustainable, and renewable energy in the region.
Since the III Ministerial Meeting of the ECPA held in Chile in 2017, the Americas Business Dialogue (ABD) has actively participated in the initiative, and this was no exception, participating in thematic sessions, leading the Public-Private Plenary session, and organizing high-level bilateral meetings for its members.
The first day of meetings was dedicated to thematic sessions to address critical issues such as private investment in the energy sector, clean hydrogen certification, and energy resilience in the Caribbean, among others. We highlight the thematic sessions on Dialogue to advance fair and inclusive energy policies in the Americas, Decarbonizing the maritime industry and integrating Transport infrastructure, and the RELAC initiative: Boosting transformation by accelerating Integration and Innovation of clean energies in Latin America and the Caribbean, in which representatives from ABD companies participated as speakers: AES, BMW, InterEnergy Group, and Wärtsilä.
The inauguration of the VI Ministerial Meeting was attended by the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Raquel Peña, along with senior representatives of the Dominican government and international organizations.
On March 15th, plenary sessions continued, with the third session focusing on the Role of public-private dialogue for a fair and inclusive energy transition in the Americas, led by ABD. The energy working group presented the private sector’s vision regarding three pillars: Rapid Implementation of Cleaner Energy Technologies and Decarbonization, Market Analysis, Planning, and Design; and Regional Collaboration for discussion with ministers. ABD was represented by AES, Chair of the group, InterEnergy Group, Wärtsilä, and CMI Investments.
Finally, it is worth noting that, within the framework of ECPA, with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation, the Dominican Republic signed Memorands of Understanding with Chile and Panama. A similar agreement has been established between Panama and Chile, reinforcing cooperation in the region. These agreements, with a duration of two years, seek the comprehensive utilization of energy resources for present and future generations, under the criteria of transparency and environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Likewise, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), and the Dominican Republic issued a joint call to action to deploy public policies, strategies, and actions to accelerate fair, inclusive, and sustainable energy transitions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).