About this book
Chapter 1
Energy in Latin America, a
rich and heterogeneous continent
Chapter 2
MDBs push
for restructuring of the energy sector
Chapter 3
The repeated recipe...and
the usual winners
Chapter 4
Taking advantage of
cheap abundant resources
What’s the use of saving?
Chapter 5
MDBs and energy
contradictions and dogmatic errors
Chapter 6
The case of Brazil
Chapter 7
The case of Colombia
Chapter 8
The case of Mexico
Chapter 9
The case of Uruguay
Chapter 10
The MDBs could manage; but
do the want to?
This book is the result of work carried out in the last two years within the framework of the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Energy Project. The project sought to establish whether the policies and loans of the World Bank (WB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) correspond to a model of environmental sustainability and social equity. The Latin American studies are part of a broader project that includes work in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, coordinated from offices in Holland. Based on well-founded diagnosis, the project ultimately aims to contribute to positive modification of those MDB policies and investments in the energy sector that prove to be environmentally or socially unsustainable.
The Latin American initiative was organized around a regional focal point (Ricardo Carrere from the Third World Institute, Uruguay) and four national focal points (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay). The studies were carried out by the following authors and organizations:
Brazil:
Célio Bermann (Centro de Estudos de Energia e Meio
Ambiente)
Colombia: Hiderbrando Vélez, Tatiana Roa,
Marta Rincón and Diana Milena Guio (Asociación Centro
Nacional de Salud, Ambiente y Trabajo)
Mexico: Mary Purcell and Susana
Cruickshank (Equipo Pueblo)
Uruguay: Gerardo Honty (Centro de Estudios
Uruguayo sobre Tecnologías Apropiadas)
Luis Stolovich was assigned the elaboration of a study at the regional level, assisted by María Soledad Salvador and Ricardo Carrere.
The country and regional studies (accessible on web pages in their complete version) provided the basis for this book by Luis Stolovich, which also incorporates more recent information on the subject.
This effort should lead to a better understanding of the energy issue. Such understanding is needed, not only to enhance quality of life in the region, but also to deal with the negative environmental impacts of energy production and use, and to take advantage of available alternatives.
This book is intended not only for the officials of the MDBs operating in our region (whose policies and loans decisively influence our energy systems), but also for people in government, academia, organized sectors of the civil society and the general public.
We hope that this work stimulates a broad discussion on a subject of vital importance and that such discussion will lead to government decisions fostering energy development that is both environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.
Ricardo Carrere
Regional Coordinator
Energy - Multilateral Development Bank Project
Third World Institute
* Spanish version edited by Luis Stolovich / translated by Raquel Nuñez / English version edited by Ann Heidenreich
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The Multilateral Development Banks Energy Project
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