The Energy and Climate Alliance of the Americas (ECPA) is an initiative of the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS), which seeks to promote sustainable energy development in the region with a view to a future with net zero emissions.
The ECPA offers support to member countries in the region in their transition processes towards clean, resilient and inclusive energy systems, functioning as a platform for multilateral coordination, public-private cooperation, capacity building and dissemination.
Its action plan is based on six fundamental pillars:
1. Cleaner energy sources
Promote the decarbonization of the energy system, transportation, industry and housing in the Americas, through cooperation for the production and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy and other low-carbon sources that enhance sustainable energy development region of.
2. Universal energy access
Guarantee access to clean, safe and affordable energy, prioritizing the sustainable energy development of rural areas, vulnerable areas and historically neglected communities.
Promote inclusion in the energy sector by promoting ethnic, social and gender diversity and equity in employment, salaries, access to training and opportunities to exercise leadership.
3. Energy efficiency
Promote the development of public policies that promote responsible energy consumption and the adoption of more efficient and clean technologies in the residential, industrial, commercial and transportation sectors.
4. Regional integration
Promote technical and policy coordination for interconnection based mainly on renewable energies, the harmonization of standards and the exchange of knowledge between the countries of the Americas.
5. Energy resilience
Promote the development of energy systems with greater capacity to adapt and recover from the impacts of climate change, particularly considering the specific vulnerabilities of island states and developing countries.
6. Innovation
Promote research and implementation of new technologies and processes, as well as nature-based solutions, that accelerate the energy transition and contribute to adaptation and mitigation to the effects of climate change
La ECPA se originó en la V Cumbre de las Américas, realizada en 2009, en Puerto España, Trinidad y Tobago, donde los líderes del hemisferio occidental acordaron que la transición energética es uno de los desafíos más importantes que sus países debían afrontar y allí reiteraron su compromiso de trabajar juntos hacia un futuro energético sostenible.
In response to this challenge, the governments of the region, together with representatives of civil society and the private sector, promoted the creation of the Energy and Climate Alliance of the Americas as a flexible instrument for the development of common strategies that encourage use of renewable energy sources and promote climate action.
ECPA member countries are all countries in the Western Hemisphere that have expressed interest in participating in this initiative. Currently, there are more than 30 countries involved in different projects and activities related to ECPA. The first ECPA ministerial meeting was held in Washington D.C., United States, in 2010, at the initiative of US President Barack Obama, and since then five other meetings have been held in Mérida, Mexico (2015), Viña del Mar, Chile (2017) , Montego Bay, Jamaica (2020) and Panama City, Panama (2022).
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