Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

129 context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, by keeping the global average temperature increase well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels” (UNFCCC, 2015). One of the most important aspects of the agreement is the call for all parties to prepare, communicate and maintain ambitious efforts through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aiming for national mitigation and adaptation goals. These NDCs were to be submitted from 2015 and updated every five years. As of July 2022, the agreement has been signed by 193 out of 197 parties (UNFCCC, n. d.). Significant milestones in regional climate action: Latin America and the Caribbean Historically, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have been a region with low greenhouse gas emissions as it contributes less than 10% of the total global emissions. Brazil and Mexico are among the major contributing countries, with the energy, agriculture and forestry sectors accounting for 42%, 28%, and 21% of total emissions, respectively. Despite the relatively low emissions of each country in the region, the effects of climate change have been observed in each of them, with unfavorable climate projections. In general, since 1970, there has been a cross-cutting concern in LAC regarding the importance of environmental policies and ecosystem preservation, although cooperation between countries is quite limited. Additionally, LAC does not act as a single block in international climate change negotiations: there are different groups within LAC, such as the Latin American and Caribbean Group (Grulac), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), which greatly limits the potential strengthening of the region’s negotiating capacity. Since the region has limited historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions but is and will be significantly affected by the impacts of climate change, it is essential for LAC to participate resolutely and in a coordinated manner in seeking robust alternatives for the necessary adaptation and mitigation strategies in the region, considering each country’s specific vulnerabilities. In terms of international commitments by countries in the region, most countries have updated their NDCs, but with limited climate ambition. Furthermore, when analyzing the second round of submissions, these commitments vary significantly among countries, due to factors like political commitments, technical capacity, data availability or evidence for decision- making. This partly demonstrates the high variability and lack of collaboration and coordination in the region for commitments and climate negotiations. Given the characteristics and social vulnerabilities in LAC, along with