The aim is to advance in our analysis as to the impacts of climate change on social equality, income distribution, poverty, social vulnerability, etc. Tools are also facilitated and/ or generated to analyse the costs and benefits of mitigation alternatives, assisting in decision-making and strategic planning.

Technical assistance was recently offered to the government of El Salvador in developing its Strategic Environmental Evaluation of the National Energy Policy, which will assist the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources in taking strategic decisions regarding the environmental, social and regional objectives of energy policy.

As for the generation and exchange of information, along with the dissemination of activities and resources, the Climate Change Network (RSCC) has been established to bring together members of three sectors of society (State, private enterprise and civil society) committed to the development of climatecompatible socio-economic systems.

This Climate Change Network aims to: a) improve studies and other initiatives involved in revealing the impacts of climate change in the region; b) broaden and disseminate knowledge; c) exchange experiences, approaches and strategies; d) facilitate planning and the development of collaborative initiatives; e) facilitate the structuring and mobilisation of resources.

As part of the strengthening of capacities in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, skills development and training courses have been held to address the exchange of information, methodologies and tools for the assessment and quantification of the socio-economic impacts and effects of climate change and the corresponding mitigation and compensation measures. During 2011, the ECLAC headquarters in Santiago de Chile hosted three international courses:

• “The Economics of Climate Change and Social Impacts: Methods and Techniques for Analysis” (23-25 February 2011).
• “Baselines and Evaluation of the Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change in Latin America” (12-14 September 2011).
• “Public Finance, Environmental Reform and Risk Management in the Context of Climate Change” (9-11 November 2011).

Seminars/workshops are also held (connected with the Calls for Papers) to promote forums for dialogue among experts and the general public with an interest in climate change and to set out the preliminary results of the studies which ECLAC is undertaking within the context of EUROCLIMA.