Caribbean leaders discuss actions and solutions for climate resilience at Climate Bonds CONNECT 2026

Climate Bonds CONNECT 2026 brought together senior leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean in Santo Domingo to advance one urgent priority: mobilising capital for climate resilience in one of the world’s most climate-exposed regions. 

From public sector leaders to multilateral institutions and private financial actors, the message was clear: capital is available, but scaling impact now depends on credibility, risk allocation, and the ability to translate frameworks into real investment opportunities. 

A defining moment for the Caribbean 

As the first Climate Bonds CONNECT event held in the Caribbean, after previous editions in Mexico City, Bogotá, São Paulo and Panama City, the regional conference marked an important milestone for the region.  Across discussions, resilience emerged as a central theme, spanning economic systems, social development, biodiversity, and financial stability. 

Leadership shaping the agenda 

The event featured high-level speakers from across the public and private sectors, including the Minister of Environment of the Dominican Republic, Paíno Henríquez; María Martinez, Vice-Minister of Public Credit at the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Finance; John Javier Sarmiento, Director of Public Credit of the Bogotá District; Jabar Singh, Executive President of the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean, Scotiabank and many more C-suite speakers and attendees. Together, they provided a comprehensive perspective on how sustainable finance is evolving across the region. 

From capital availability to capital allocation 

The day reinforced that the challenge is no longer the availability of capital. There is enough capital, but the private and public sectors need to act on how it is deployed. 

In the first session, the speakers shared the importance of blended finance, guarantees, and regional cooperation to unlock investment, particularly in small island states and emerging markets. Resilience was consistently framed as a systemic concept, extending beyond infrastructure to include economic, social and environmental systems. 

Building trust through credible frameworks 

A recurring theme across the conference was the importance of credibility as the foundation of sustainable finance markets. 

The second session focused on the role of taxonomies in defining what qualifies as sustainable investment. While the proliferation of frameworks presents challenges, speakers emphasised interoperability as the key solution, alongside strong capacity-building efforts to ensure effective implementation. 

The Dominican Republic stood out as a regional leader, integrating taxonomy into regulation and market development strategies. 

Scaling thematic finance in practice 

The third session showcased how issuers across the region are embedding sustainable finance into their core strategies. 

Speakers emphasised that credibility relies on clear alignment between strategy, financing, and reporting, supported by independent verification. While pricing advantages such as the “greenium” remain difficult to isolate, issuers highlighted broader benefits including increased investor demand and stronger strategic discipline. 

The session also pointed to growing momentum in transition, blue, and biodiversity finance, reflecting the region’s unique opportunities. 

From innovation to implementation 

The final session focused on real-world application, highlighting that scaling sustainable finance requires strong institutional capacity, reliable data, and internal alignment. 

Banks and financial institutions are increasingly acting as change agents, translating global frameworks into local financial products that support sectors such as housing, water, agriculture, and marine ecosystems. 

Panelists agreed that while investors' appetite continues to grow, the pace of market expansion will depend on the ability of institutions to operationalise these frameworks effectively. However, across all sessions, speakers agreed that capacity, data systems, and institutional readiness remain the main bottlenecks to scaling the market.   

Celebrating regional leadership: 10th Climate Bonds Awards 

The event also recognised outstanding achievements through the 10th edition of the Climate Bonds Awards, highlighting leaders driving innovation and scale in sustainable finance. The winners are: 

• Dominican Republic – Largest Sovereign Green Bond Issuer in the Caribbean 
• Republic of Chile – First Sovereign Asset Certification in the World 
• Genneia (Argentina) – Leading Corporate Sustainability Bond 
• City of Bogotá – First Sub-Sovereign Green Bond 
• Inter-American Development Bank – Innovative Thematic Bond of the Year 

These recognitions reflect the growing maturity and ambition of sustainable finance markets across the region. 

A shared commitment to action 

Beyond the sessions, the event created space for meaningful exchange between stakeholders, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in advancing the sustainable finance agenda. 

From technical discussions to networking moments, participants shared a common goal: accelerating the transition towards resilient, low-carbon, and inclusive economies across Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Looking ahead  

As Climate Bonds CONNECT 2026 continues globally, the message from Santo Domingo is clear: Latin America and the Caribbean are highly exposed to climate risks, but the region is also uniquely positioned to lead across as biodiversity, blue finance, and resilience. 

The next phase will depend on turning momentum into action. That means building pipelines, strengthening institutions, and ensuring that capital flows deliver measurable impact on the ground. 

This event was made possible thanks to our sponsors and partners: Scotiabank, IDB Invest, LAGreen Fund, S&P Global Ratings, Ambire Global, EGE Haina, Alpha, Altio, Bolsa de Valores de la República Dominicana and Revista Mercado. 

We invite you to register for the upcoming CONNECT events and stay tuned for more updates throughout the year. 

Till next time, 

Climate Bonds