Gloria Alvarenga, Director of Integration, Access and Energy Security at the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), participated in the Sixth Global Conference on Energy-SDG Synergies, organized by UNDESA, UNFCCC, and other international organizations.
During the technical session on water-energy synergies, Alvarenga stated: “There is no energy transition without water, and no sustainable access to water without energy.”
She highlighted the strategic role of hydropower in Latin America and the Caribbean, its vulnerability to climate change, and the transformative potential of solar microgrids, renewable desalination, and biogas systems for rural and Indigenous communities.
In the session dedicated to SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Alvarenga warned that 17 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean still lack reliable access to energy. She stressed the importance of deploying decentralized solutions, such as Amazonian microgrids and hybrid systems in Andean areas, alongside access policies with a gender and territorial focus.
She also addressed financing challenges, calling for increased climate investment to support local energy adaptation efforts.
Alvarenga held a bilateral meeting with the Guatemalan Sugar Association (Asazgua) and the Latin American Sugar Producers Union (UNALA), where they agreed to strengthen regional cooperation to promote biomass and cogeneration as part of the Global Network on Water-Energy Sustainable Solutions led by UNDESA.
At the side event “Promoting Climate-SDGs Synergies Through Energy Action”, Alvarenga reaffirmed OLADE’s commitment to energy planning aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate resilience:
“We must move from fragmentation to synergy, and from isolated resilience to shared resilience.”
She closed by underscoring the need for clear regulation, inclusive financing, and interoperable data to accelerate climate action from the energy sector.
