Latin America is home to an extraordinary share of the world’s natural capital – around 40% of Earth’s biodiversity – and its forests and wetlands store vast carbon reserves. This “biodiversity superpower” also faces acute climate risks, with extreme weather already costing the region ~$11 billion annually and projected to reach $100 billion per year by 2050. Yet current investments in climate mitigation, adaptation, and nature conservation fall far short of what’s needed. Globally, climate finance flows have surpassed $1.3 trillion per year but must increase four- to five-fold by 2030 to meet the Paris climate goals. In Latin America, an estimated $215–284 billion is required annually this decade for a low-carbon, climate-resilient transition, but actual climate finance to the region has hovered around just $50–60 billion (only ~4% of global climate finance). A massive funding gap also exists for biodiversity protection, with a worldwide sh ortfall of roughly $700 billion per year. In short, Latin America’s climate and nature goals face a severe financing deficit.
