About the Environment Program
The Institute of the Americas’ Environment Program drives actionable, cross-border strategies across Latin America and the Caribbean and the U.S. to address the most pressing climate and environmental challenges facing the Americas. Through high-level convenings and technical collaboration, the program brings together the private sector, governments, academia, and civil society to accelerate sustainable development, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce environmental and climate risks, and safeguard the region’s marine and terrestrial natural capital.
The program integrates science, economics, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen decision-making in areas such as climate resilience, sustainable finance, marine and coastal governance, and the energy transition. By bridging regional perspectives and fostering practical solutions, the Environment Program positions the Americas as a leader in implementing credible, scalable pathways toward a more resilient and sustainable future.
What We Do
The Environment Program focuses on four core areas of action:
Sustainability Leadership
Strengthening the capacity of governments and companies across the Americas to lead on sustainability, ESG competitiveness, climate resilience, greenhouse gas mitigation and the energy transition.
Applied Research & Public Programs
Developing interdisciplinary research and public programs that translate science and policy analysis into actionable insights for decision-makers.
Knowledge Exchange
Sharing emerging trends, innovations, and best practices to support effective environmental and climate responses across the region.
Collaboration & Dialogue
Convening public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders to foster regional cooperation and advance solutions to shared environmental challenges.
Projects
Water Security Program
The CaliBaja region faces growing water scarcity due to climate change, population growth and heavy industrial and agricultural water use. Addressing this challenge requires advancing water re-use strategies through binational partnerships that improve water resilience.
Sustainable Shipping
For the past three years, the IOA has worked to build capacity and raise awareness on the environmental, economic and health benefits of reducing the carbon footprint and ecological impacts of the shipping and port industry.
Blue Carbon Initiative
We examine innovative cross-border climate solutions toward climate action and conservation that extend beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries, especially in transboundary bioregions with shared watersheds and migratory species.
Sustainability Leadership
To help cities across Latin America and the Caribbean confront climate change while building more inclusive, sustainable futures, the IOA facilitates knowledge exchange between government, the private sector, academia and civil society. Through site visits, round-table discussions and informative webinars, we seek to support stakeholders as they build resilient communities.
Marine Research
A wide network of scientific collaborators produce research promoting conservation and sustainable management through multidisciplinary approaches. From fisheries management to biodiversity conservation, including analysis of social and economic implications of implementing management policies, our research spans various topics shaping coastal and marine policy.
Science Literacy and Diplomacy
Access to information and scientific knowledge is essential to combat misinformation. Science diplomacy not only informs policy but can help promote collaboration and build trust for open communication. We use graphic material produced by dataMares, host discussion forums and create other opportunities to allow science to inform society.
