Economic growth, which has made possible an increase in levels of well-being, has had as an immediate consequence environmental degradation through net consumption of nature and pollution. Thus, the current development pattern is eroding the very bases that sustain it. The purpose of this document is to present the contributions made by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) over the last decade to the discussion on the relationship between development and environment, the most recent innovation of which has been the introduction of the three gaps model. Based on this model, only one path will allow full compliance with the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Moving towards this scenario requires an induced recomposition of the sectoral structure made possible through public policies favorable to the sectors driving the transition.