core sector communique

Latin America Grapples with Transition to Renewable Energy

• Latin American governments face battle to grow and keep energy matrix clean
• Brazil is grappling with renewable fuels amid oil boom
• More information on the meeting is available at www.weforum.org/latinamerica2011

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 29 April 2011 – Latin American countries face a complex battle to reconcile their rapidly growing energy requirements with the need to combat climate change, energy leaders and experts at the World Economic Forum on Latin America said today.

With many of the region's economies booming and the consumption of fossil fuels rising fast, governments need "courage" to push ahead with the introduction of alternative, low-carbon energy sources such as wind power or bio-fuels.