TIME magazine includes Colombian Sergio Diaz-Granados, executive president of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), among the “100 most influential leaders in the fight against climate change”—a distinction that represents not only individual recognition but also the positioning of Latin America within the global sustainability agenda.
The Colombian was included in the “Titans” category, alongside high-profile global figures, reflecting the significance of his leadership at a key moment in the ecological transition.
Beyond personal celebration, appearing on TIME’s list means that Díaz-Granados and CAF have become global benchmarks. For Colombia and Latin America, it signals that the region can play a leading role—not only as a victim of climate change, but as an agent of change.
Colombian Sergio Díaz-Granados named one of TIME magazine’s 100 climate leaders
Through his leadership at CAF, Díaz-Granados has promoted a vision that goes beyond mere financing: he has advanced a strategic framework that places sustainability, biodiversity, water, and the energy transition at the center of regional development.
According to the bank, under his leadership the institution has defined itself as “the green and blue bank of the region.” This approach takes on special significance in a geographical area particularly vulnerable to climate change.
TIME’s recognition underscores two concrete achievements: first, Díaz-Granados’s role in negotiating the largest debt-for-nature swap in history, in El Salvador. And second, CAF’s approval of US$5.2 billion for sustainable development projects in ten Latin American countries.
These figures and agreements show that climate action can be generated from within the region, rather than always depending on external actors. Díaz-Granados’s inclusion reaffirms a paradigm shift: sustainability is no longer an add-on to development, but is beginning to function as its central axis.
In this sense, under the Colombian’s leadership, CAF defines its mission as a path to “closing gaps in poverty and inequality, improving access to water, and making resilience a lever for development.”
What does it mean to be a climate ‘Titan’?
TIME’s “Titans” category includes those who wield real transformative power—financial, industrial, political, or academic. Being there means that your decisions have a global impact—and visibility.
In this regard, Díaz-Granados’s recognition not only reflects his past performance but also the expectation that his leadership will continue to shape the climate agenda.
For a regional development bank, this means its strategy must continue to evolve: greater scale, more financial innovation, and deeper integration of nature and water criteria.
And for Díaz-Granados, it means embracing his position among global leaders—which also entails risks: pressure, scrutiny, and the need for tangible results. In fact, this is the first time—at least in this edition—that a Latin American has appeared in the “Titans” category of this ranking.
Latin America and the role of the development bank
The Latin American region is often cited for its vulnerability to climate change—from prolonged droughts and water crises to increasingly frequent natural disasters. In this context, CAF’s strategy under Díaz-Granados’s leadership takes on a dimension that combines urgency, opportunity, and responsibility.
On one hand, there is urgency: the need to protect the most vulnerable communities, anticipate risks, and strengthen infrastructure capable of withstanding abrupt climate changes. On the other, opportunity: mobilizing private and public capital toward green and blue projects (water + ecosystems) and redefining growth based on sustainability criteria. And finally, responsibility: being a Latin American actor that takes initiative, rather than merely waiting for assistance.
CAF’s decision to mobilize billions of dollars and promote public-private partnerships responds to this threefold need. Díaz-Granados illustrated this point by stating that Latin America and the Caribbean “is perhaps the region most vulnerable to climate change and essentially vulnerable to the water crisis.”