Global Business Forum LATAM (UAE) – Towards a Resilient Future

GBF Latin America will bring together public and private sector experts to explore the synergies between the UAE and Latin America and Caribbean which can help both to achieve the goal of a more resilient and digital economy.

• REFORM: REFORM will explore how countries in Latin America and the Gulf region are transforming their economies post-Covid, looking at the key challenges they still face, the changes in priorities brought by the pandemic and the reforms that are needed to move economies forward. How can governments create more efficient cooperation frameworks with businesses and ensure that reforms help people from across society?
• EMPOWER: EMPOWER will investigate how governments in Latin America and the Caribbean can champion the entrepreneur, support the SMEs that are the backbones of their economies and help all businesses adapt to the increasingly digital world. How can governments and business shape the vision of future economic growth, and how can Dubai’s digital expertise help support this transformation?
• GROW: GROW will examine trade, foreign direct investment and regional integration as tools for growth. How governments and businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean– and their counterparts in the GCC – better collaborate for success?

DAY TWO Thursday 24th March

Boosting Growth by Combating Climate Change

As Latin America and the Caribbean countries feel the environmental effects of climate change- such as rising sea levels and stronger hurricanes in the Caribbean and longer dry seasons and shorter wet seasons in Latin America- they are also preparing for its impact on their economies. But the outlook is not all negative– the region could save $621bn by 2050 by decarbonising its energy and transport sectors and create 7.7m new jobs, according to the UN. Countries such as Paraguay, which has electricity generation produced by 100% renewable energy sources, are leading the way, as is the Gulf region, which is expected to more than double its renewables capacity within the next five years. Jamaica also has set a target for renewables to contribute 50% of electricity production by 2030. This session will investigate the opportunities for economic growth in both regions that can come from combating climate change with renewable energy, and how countries are financing renewable energy projects through use of instruments such as sustainable bonds.

Speakers Racquel Moses, Chief Executive Officer, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, Trinidad & Tobago