Conference Agenda

This study analyzes the evolution of the energy matrix and carbon intensity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) during the 2000-2023 period, including a specific sub-analysis of the 2020-2023 interval. The research focuses on nine structurally significant economies: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Uruguay. By integrating data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Bank, an analytical framework based on the Kaya Identity and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition method was applied to quantify the drivers of GHG emissions.
The results reveal a marked regional heterogeneity: while countries such as Uruguay and Brazil exhibit strong decoupling with carbon intensities below 40 CO2/TJ, economies like Mexico and Argentina maintain a rigid fossil fuel dependency with values exceeding 60 CO2/TJ. The LMDI analysis demonstrates that economic growth (Activity Effect) remains the primary driver of emissions, often outpacing progress in energy efficiency and energy mix decarbonization.
It is concluded that the region possesses consolidated leadership in renewable electricity but faces an incomplete transformation of its primary energy systems. The study identifies an urgent need to integrate new energy vectors, such as green hydrogen and electromobility, to overcome fossil inertia in hard-to-abate sectors and achieve absolute decoupling in the región