CLIMATE CRISIS, INEQUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE LATIN AMERICAN REALITY
It is recognized that the institutional framework of the debate on environmental issues began in the 1970s, a period in which numerous questions emerged from society regarding the future of the planet. It is important to highlight that such questions went beyond the strictly environmental dimension, extending to critiques of the prevailing model of society, its contradictions, and the forms of sociability that predominated at the time.
In this context, environmental issues came to occupy significant space on the public agenda, becoming central elements in the formulation and implementation of public policies in various national states.
A relevant aspect of this debate was — and continues to be — technological advancement, which drove the diversification of economic and industrial activities. However, this same process has increased the risks of environmental disasters, owing to the intensity and complexity of the new problems generated. Thus, technology, conceived as an instrument for improving quality of life and expanding the capitalist productive system, has also become a vector of environmental contamination whose effects cross geopolitical borders and are observed in different regions of the planet.
From discussions on sustainable development and the green economy to the proposal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations for the 2030 Agenda, it is observed that much of the concern and the strategies adopted by the main international actors remain grounded in economic assumptions compatible with capitalist logic. In this sense, recommendations aimed at precaution, preservation and environmental conservation tend to be formulated so as not to compromise market dynamics. However, the attempt to reconcile the protection of natural resources with the imperatives of economic growth frequently results in territorial and socio-environmental conflicts.
The worsening of these challenges reveals another fundamental issue: although there is broad production and circulation of information through information systems and formal and informal communication channels, as well as growing knowledge arising from the catastrophes associated with climate emergencies that affect states, territories and populations around the world, such learning does not always translate into effective actions on the part of those responsible for protecting people, assets and ecosystems. As a consequence, recurring losses, institutional rework, and difficulties in building lasting solutions are observed.
Given this scenario, the sharing of new studies, research and experiences, both public and private, focused on the Latin American reality, proves to be particularly relevant within the scope of this Latin American Congress. The exchange of knowledge and successful practices contributes to expanding knowledge, strengthening institutional capacities, and building more resilient societies that are better prepared to face today’s complex socio-environmental challenges.
