Climate change governance, environment, and inequality in Latin America

The impacts of climate change are being realized across the globe, but it is now also clear that changes in the climate will impact some regions of the world more than others. In response to climate change impacts, several Latin American countries have engaged in climate change mitigation efforts. Mitigation requires phasing out fossil fuels, optimizing renewable energy sources, and adapting to problems created by climate change. However, because of the conditions in Latin America described by Moreno (2006) climate mitigation efforts are especially problematic and provide conditions that often intensify socio-ecological conflicts such as those centered on land acquisition. To illustrate how and why this is the case, this chapter explores renewable energy developments in Latin America interpreted through a political ecology and political economy lens to demonstrate how and why they are problematic and contribute to environmental inequality.