On November 7th, the EU-LAC Foundation in partnership with the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro organised the conference “Responding and Adapting to Climate Change in the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean: Fostering Cooperation at the Interregional Level“, hosted by the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) in Brussels, Belgium. The event was carried out in the framework of EU-LAC’s 7th Annual Call for the co-organisation of events on strategic topics, in this edition aimed at exploring the opportunities and challenges for bi-regional cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in addressing climate change, renewing alliances and providing recommendations to policy-makers.
The international conference brought together government officials, representatives from EU institutions, civil society members, and experts from both regions to engage in a comprehensive policy dialogue on climate action. The discussions focused on existing sub-national, national, and regional mechanisms to combat climate change, with an emphasis on how these efforts can be strengthened through EU-LAC cooperation.
In the opening remarks in charge of Philippe De Lombaerde, Director of UNU-CRIS, and Diego Durán Cruz, Manager of Interinstitutional Relations at the EU-LAC Foundation, they emphasised the critical importance of fostering closer cooperation between the EU and LAC on climate-related issues, particularly ahead of COP29, COP30 and the EU-CELAC Summit in 2025. A keynote address by Camila Polo Flórez, representative of Colombia in Belgium, underscored the need for funding mechanisms to recognise the expertise and solutions offered by LAC science, local communities, and indigenous knowledge. In his opening comments, Christian Burgsmüller of the European External Action Service reaffirmed that LAC is a key partner for the EU in global climate action.
The conference featured three thematic panels, each addressing different aspects of EU-LAC climate cooperation. The first panel titled “On the Road to COP30 Belém: What Is the Potential for EU-LAC Cooperation in Climate Governance?” explored the importance of multilateral cooperation in climate governance, particularly for regions like the Caribbean, which are disproportionately affected by climate change but lack the resources to mitigate its impacts.
Under the title “Implementing the EU Green Deal and Global Gateway: European and LAC perceptions” the opportunities and challenges surrounding EU investments in LAC, with a focus on the region's rich natural resources and shared values with Europe, were examined. However, experts from Brazil raised concerns about the region’s reliance on extractive industries and criticised policies that have led to environmental degradation, including illegal mining and deforestation linked to illicit economies.
The last panel “The Climate Crisis and Subnational Actors: Prevention and Response Experiences From Europe and LAC” highlighted the growing role of subnational actors—such as local governments and regional organisations—in addressing climate change, as recognised by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
The conference was held in a hybrid format, facilitating dynamic discussions and question sessions that allowed both in-person and online participants to engage in the dialogue. The event generated valuable recommendations for international institutions and policymakers, strengthening the case for deeper, more effective EU-LAC cooperation in tackling the global climate crisis. A policy document with the main conclusions and recommendations will follow.