Latin America could lead the way on green power
A resource blessing, not a curse?
![A miner works at an illegal copper mine in Brazil.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20231118_TWAMP001.jpg)
By Ana Lankes
For centuries Latin America has been dogged by the resource curse. Its abundant natural resources have never translated into a lasting, society-wide ascent into broader prosperity. Many are hoping this will change with the global transition to clean energy. The region holds more than half the world’s lithium, used in electric-vehicle batteries; produces over a third of its copper, for electrical wiring; and churns out more than half its silver, crucial for solar panels. It is also home to around half of the world’s biodiversity and a quarter of its forests. In the coming years, regional leaders hope that Latin America can take off as a green power.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition of The World Ahead 2024 under the headline “A resource blessing?”