EUROCLIMA: Building a Green and Just Transition with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Euroclima, as part of the Global Gateway strategy, builds partnerships between the European Union (EU) and the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions to drive a green and just transition. Through bilateral dialogues and regional collaboration, the programme engages with 33 partner countries and key regional organisations to identify priorities and translate them into concrete actions, fostering long-term environmental and climate resilience. By creating the right conditions and supporting key initiatives in priority sectors, Euroclima helps establish a solid foundation for a sustainable transition. The programme also facilitates the mobilisation of climate and green financing, addressing urgent environmental challenges.

Approach and objectives

Euroclima supports partner countries in creating enabling conditions to attract investments, particularly under the Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) and the EU-CELAC cooperation. This effort contributes to sustainable and just transitions promoting resilience, carbon neutrality, and inclusive prosperity.

Since 2010, Euroclima has promoted dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cooperation among governments, institutions, civil society, and the private sector. By adopting a Team Europe approach, the programme enhances coordination between EU institutions, Member States, and financial institutions, improving access to expertise, financial resources, and innovative solutions.

Euroclima facilitates bilateral and regional partnerships under the Global Gateway strategy, ensuring that investments align with environmental, climate, and biodiversity goals. Through country dialogues, the programme tailors action plans to national priorities, supporting sustainable policies and climate financing mechanisms.

Regional initiatives address shared challenges, enabling collaboration between Latin America and the Caribbean. For instance, the Ibero-American Network of Biodiversity Directors promotes private investment in conservation and facilitates sustainable strategies exchange.

Actions

Euroclima aligns with the Global Gateway pillars and advances shared EU-LAC priorities under the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda by:

• Strengthening enabling conditions: supporting policies, institutions, and governance frameworks for climate action.
• Scaling transformative models: piloting innovative projects and replicating successful solutions.
• Enhancing access to finance: facilitating capacity building and financial mechanisms for investment.
• Fostering inclusive dialogue: enabling EU-LAC cooperation through regional exchanges. 

The Caribbean joined the programme in 2023, forming a single regional initiative, which strengthens exchanges between Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve common objectives more effectively.

Euroclima contributes to sustainable development by working on priority areas:

• Energy transition (Regional electricity markets, energy storage, renewable hydrogen)
• Sustainable mobility (Railways, e-buses)
• Biodiversity and ecosystems (Nature-based solutions, biodiversity credits)
• Bioeconomy and sustainable food production (Deforestation-free value chains, sargassum)
• Water management (Pollution in rivers)
• Disaster risk management
• Sustainable climate finance (Access to finance, green bonds, carbon markets, private sector engagement)
• Circular economy