Percentage growth from 1980

50 40 30 20 10 0

-10 1980 1985 Figure 3.12 Electricity sources Carbon intensity of economy

Percentage growth from 1980 40

20 0

-20 -40 -60 -80

Latin America and the Caribbean

OECD

China World

1980 1985 Figure 3.13

By the same token, changes in energy intensity in the region point to the importance of improving energy efficiency levels, on both the supply and the demand side, and of expanding the use of renewable energies. In South America, 70% of the electricity produced comes from hydroelectric sources (figure 3.14). However, in Central America and the Caribbean, electric-power generation continues to rely predominantly on fossil fuels.

30 1990 1995 2000 2005 Source: ECLAC elaboration of World Resource Institute-CAIT database. Source: World Bank, online database, accessed in July 2010. Figure 3.14

For Latin America and the Caribbean overall, fossil fuels (primarily oil and natural gas) continued, in 2007, to be the most important source (76%) for producing energy. Of the energy produced in the region, only 23.1% comes from renewable sources, primarily water, sustainable fuelwood and products (figure 3.15).

India Percentage of total produced, 2007 Fossil Hydropower Others 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 South America Mesoamerica Caribbean OECD

excluding Mexico 1990

1995 2000 2005

Source: ECLAC, Climate change and development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overview 2009.

0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Carbon intensity of energy use India

China

Latin America and the Caribbean

World

Electricity production Gigawatt/hour

1 000

200 400 600 800

South America

Mesoamerica Caribbean

sugarcane