In an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina, Rebolledo commented that, although in the region 60 percent of the generation comes from clean sources, problems caused by climate change such as droughts imply a problem.

That was one of the central issues discussed at the recently concluded meeting of experts from Olade, an organization that has a long tradition and this year we commemorate its 50th anniversary with the mission of accompanying countries in their public energy policies, said the executive.

As he explained, Latin America is the greenest region in the world in terms of electricity generation, but climatic events make it necessary to foster cooperation for the transition towards more sustainable development models.

Rebolledo, who was Minister of Energy of Chile, believes that there is a commitment to move forward in this direction, but the reality of each country requires taking into account the differences.

The countries of the area follow different rhythms, with different technology depending on their conditions and needs, and Olade supports them on this path, he said.

He added that internationally nations are aware of the need to combat the effects of climate change and energy is probably the main sector to mitigate the consequences.

Both electricity generation and transportation represent approximately 70 percent of all greenhouse gases in the region and in the world, therefore the sector is understood as a priority for the matrix change, he pointed out.

For two days, officials and sector specialists from 23 countries met at Olade’s headquarters in Quito, Ecuador, to discuss issues such as the responsible exploitation of mineral resources in the region.

They concluded that this variant requires solid regulatory frameworks and adequate governance to guarantee sustainable and environmentally friendly exploitation.

ef/ro/avr