The world needs to transition to low-carbon economies to reduce global warming while continuing to promote sustainable socioeconomic development for a growing global population. Achieving this massive goal requires a radical transformation in how energy is supplied and used worldwide, as 73% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated by energy use, particularly by burning fossil fuels, representing roughly 80% of the world’s primary energy supply. Transforming the energy sector at the needed scale and pace is a herculean task, to which all the players in the energy landscape must contribute, while recognizing that the transition will require different pathways and options for different conditions, thus being indeed “transitions” rather than a unique linear sequence.

Additionally, widespread poverty and population growth urge us to look at energy security, food security, and affordability as cornerstones of the current debate, where socio-economic development is an essential aspect in developing and lowincome countries; all of them are being negatively affected by the ongoing crisis.

This white paper provides a strategic approach to the role of and critical drivers for the development of natural gas today (complemented by lower-carbon/green gases in the medium term) in the energy transition in the specific context of Latin America and the Caribbean. It aims to contribute to the international energy dialogue, to help in the understanding of the critical benefits that natural gas could bring to the energy transition, and to provide evidence and insights to inform energy stakeholders about the regional situation in particular.