Latinamerika er en grøn verdensdel – men hvor længe endnu?

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Nyt stort studie konkluderer, at latinamerikanerne må tage begrebet “grøn vækst” til sig, hvis naturen og hele økosystemer ikke skal bryde sammen på lidt længere sigt – huskekage før det store miljøtopmøde i Rio om få uger, men der er tiltag på vej.

* Latin America’s vast natural resources at risk if green growth policies not fully embraced, new report says
* Inclusive green growth is key to sustaining region’s economic and social gains
* Latin America & Caribbean has also implemented some of the world’s most innovative green practices

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2012: It is hard to imagine Latin America not being green. From its vast Amazon expanses and rolling wheat and soy fields, to its huge copper and gold reserves, all shades of green have typically been part of the region’s landscape – both geographically and economically.

But as harsh and apocalyptic (undergangsagtigt) this may sound, many experts already worry about the region’s vast natural resources being depleted (ødelagt) as a result of untethered (utæmmet) growth – the type of which has made Latin America an economic success story in recent years.

Ahead of Rio+20 later in June, a new report argues that the region faces an uphill battle to sustain such growth rate over time without fully embracing “green” and “inclusive” policies across the board. In other words, policies able to provide affordable access and services to all communities and sectors of society.

Consider this as a challenge. Latin America has the largest urban population – more than 80 per cent – as well as the fastest growing motorization rate in the world, both potential sources of environmental degradation (nedslidning) if left to their own devices.

About one third or 30 per cent of the region’s population are under 15.

Urban concentration is a particularly huge challenge as 60 per cent of the region’s GDP (bruttonationalprodukt) comes from the largest 200 Latin American cities – meaning that any change in that subtle (hårfine) balance could affect the region’s economies, notes the study, “Inclusive Green Growth in Latin American & Caribbean”.

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