Зеленая энергетика в странах Латинской Америки

The aggravation of the ecological situation on the planet forces the international community to cooperate in order to solve this issue. According to the United Nations, since 1990 carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 46 %. One of the salient causes of atmospheric pollution is the use of fossil fuels as an energy source. In 2019, Latin American States declared that renewable energy sources should account for 70 % of all energy used by this region by 2030. The article is devoted to comparing and evaluating the results of energy reforms in the countries of the region. The report is based on the energy policy of Uruguay and Mexico. After the drought in 1997-2007, the pre-eminent objective of Uruguay was to develop solar energy, wind energy and biomass. Already, in 2019, 97 % of Uruguay's energy was produced using renewable sources. What is more, the country exported some of its “green” resources to Argentina and Brazil. However, the Mexican government has opted for the fossil fuel variant. As a result of this decision, in 2020, only 31 % of energy was produced from renewable sources. At the same time, Greenpeace claims that, considering the geographical location and climate of Mexico, the renewable energy sector could account for 100 % of the energy. The results of the study indicate that Latin American countries have all the necessary resources to provide their population with “clean and cheap” energy. Switching to renewable resources eliminates the need to import fossil fuels from other countries and contributes to improving the environmental situation on the planet.