En Latinoamérica se observa un creciente desarrollo de iniciativas de PSA que aunque están orientadas bajo diferentes principios y criterios, son concurrentes en la reducción de externalidades mediante el reconocimiento social y económico de los servicios ambientales. El crecimiento de esquemas de PSA en cuencas para proveer servicios hidrológicos ha sido dinámico, especialmente en las regiones andinas y mesoamericanas donde el déficit hídrico se manifiesta más fuertemente.

Rights to large areas of forest have been granted to communities and indigenous peoples in Latin America, offering these groups an opportunity to participate in REDD+ initiatives. However, tenure is not always secure, and security of tenure alone is insufficient to guarantee positive outcomes for both forests and livelihoods. The question of carbon tenure rights has only just begun to be addressed, and even less attention has been given to liabilities. REDD+ initiatives provide an opportunity to consolidate indigenous territories but present a risk to those without secure land rights.

Governments have played only a marginal role in the development of the biofuels market in most developing countries. For biofuel development to contribute to domestic energy security objectives, considerable initial financial support may be required. Biofuel production for domestic or underregulated export markets may contribute to environmental degradation, given the poor performance of feedstock cultivation in environmental impact assessments.