The report explores the role of natural gas in accelerating the region’s transition to a Net Zero economy, with a focus on key National Oil Companies (NOCs) and their pivotal role in driving decarbonization efforts. As some of Latin America’s most powerful organizations—inside and outside of the energy sector—NOCs have the resources, political connections, and the obligation to make changes. An important collaboration between CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Institute of the Americas, the report research began in late 2023. The report was prepared and written by energy experts and staff at the IOA and the preliminary findings were shared at the Madrid Energy Conference in April 2024.

In September and October, we are hosting the next installments of our Energy Ambassadors training and energy literacy workshops in Baja California and Sonora. The Energy Ambassadors program consists of a series of high-level dialogue and presentations aimed at community leaders and professionals who are not directly involved in the energy sector. The program objective is to provide participants a deeper understanding of the relevance of energy and sustainability issues at a local and global level. We cover diverse topics such as climate change, the energy market and regulation, natural gas and renewable energy development, as well as innovation and technology such as EV’s and battery storage. The sessions are offered in Spanish by specialists from the United States and Mexico.

The Fifth Annual Madrid Energy Conference highlighted the need for stable policies, innovative financing, and regional cooperation and underscored Latin America’s critical role particularly against the backdrop of geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainties. Once again this year, we were pleased to count on the participation of several UCSD graduate students who served as rapporteurs and helped to prepare the conference summary reports. Their hard work is part of our wider effort known as the Future Energy Leaders Initiative. We also have finalized the dates for the next edition of our Madrid Energy Conference, set for May 6-8, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with IPD Latin America.

This brief by Carlos Correa, Non-Resident Fellow of the Institute of the Americas and former Environment Minister of Colombia, highlights the importance of both upcoming UN biodiversity and climate negotiations in 2024. With the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia, and the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, this year is pivotal for aligning global efforts to address the intertwined crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. To better understand the stakes in this year’s talks, Correa previews 10 critical issues to be addressed in the negotiations.

GCMP’s Director Catalina López, in collaboration with scientists at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación in La Paz, Mexico, published their most recent work in Ecological Indicators on a Normalized Reef Status Index (NRSI) to help scientists assess the health of rocky reef ecosystems. The index provides a reliable and comprehensive metric, and helps enhance the effectiveness of marine protected areas by deepening our understanding of ecological mechanisms and their recovery processes.

Read Study Findings »

GCMP’s director Catalina López participated in the 6^th International Book Fair, FILUNI, hosted by UNAM in Mexico City in late August to promote science literacy, open access to information and science communication. This collaboration with dataMares, the Centro para la Biodiversidad Marina y la Conservación, UNIVERSUM, UNAM’s Ecology Institute and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Buceo Científico, was an opportunity to discuss how science contributes to democracy and the role science communication plays in strengthening governance systems.

The Institute of the Americas convened a forum, together with the Burnham Center for Community Advancement and with the generous support of California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), that presented key findings of the Institute’s recently released report, Assessing Generic and Biosimilar Manufacturing in North America & the Potential Opportunity for the CaliBaja Region. During his keynote address, Representative Scott Peters highlighted the role our region can play in strengthening the nation’s supply of essential medicines, noting San Diego’s world-class life sciences community and Mexico’s nearshoring opportunity for the production of generic and biosimilar medicines.

The IOA presented a paper entitled, Organized Crime & Violence in Mexico: Considerations for Future Nearshoring Foreign Direct Investment by Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, Ph.D., researcher with UC San Diego’s UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and an expert on organized crime and female participation in criminal groups. Dr. Farfán-Méndez discussed how organized crime and violence impact Mexico’s opportunity to seize a once-in-a-generation nearshoring opportunity as North America looks to strengthen regional supply chains.

She, along with three experts on Mexican security - Celina Realuyo, Professor at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University; Isaac Morales Tenorio,

On August 22, the Institute of the Americas hosted Spanish geopolitical historian and professor Andreu García, who gave a fascinating lecture exploring how the rise and fall of past empires has influenced the evolution of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. In his remarks, García tied historical examples to current trends affecting the bilateral relationship, and offered his views of how political developments in both countries might shape their shared future.

» Watch Recording in Spanish and English.

Welcome to our New Diplomatic Fellow

We are delighted to welcome our new diplomatic fellow, Bridget Premont. With an impressive career across multiple U.S. embassies and consulates, Bridget brings a wealth of experience in international relations, crisis management, and foreign assistance coordination. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangui, Central African Republic, where she focused on strengthening democratic governance and countering disinformation. Her diverse background includes roles in Nassau, Tijuana, Ottawa, Brussels, Quito, Nicosia, and Port-au-Prince. Fluent in French and Spanish, with some Haitian Creole. Read Full Bio»

Board Member Promotion

We extend our sincere congratulations to our board member Abraham Zamora on his promotion as President of Sempra Infrastructure Mexico. Abraham's leadership and expertise are crucial as Sempra continues to innovate and lead in the energy sector.

Thank you to our First Diplomatic Fellow

We want to extend our gratitude to Shane Christensen for his exceptional service as our former Diplomatic Fellow. His dedication and contributions have made a lasting impact. We wish Shane all the best in his new role as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for PriceSmart.