Environmental resources are related in various ways to the forms of policies for innovation and development styles historically prevailing in Latin America, with energy playing a key role in all natural or intervened processes in the biosphere, particularly in the functioning of the built environment, industrialization, and transport. Indeed, the relative importance of energy sources has varied with time and technological development, exerting a decisive influence on the forms and styles of development. In the context of sustainability transition and response to the challenges of climate change, countries are developing strategies in order to explore opportunities, risks, and benefits, based on the priorities and characteristics of each region, as there are several pathways to more sustainable energy system in the socio-technical transitions (Geels, 2004; Geels and Schot, 2007). The push for sustainability transitions under climate change could be an opportunity for Latin America to technologically leapfrog developed countries, as the region is well-positioned in terms of renewable energy. Indeed, Latin America ranked well in the carbon intensity of the energy sector as compared to other regions of the world historically (ESCAP et al., 2016). A fundamental element in these transitions, and one that stands out as a consensus, is the role of innovation in the search for sustainable solutions in increasingly complex and dynamic energy systems.

In Innovation, Competitiveness, and Development in Latin America: Lessons from the Past and Perspectives for the Future.