Maria Martinez, Program Assistant, Director of Programs & Latin America Project, Washington, D.C.
Latin America Green News is a selection of weekly news highlights about environmental and energy issues in Latin America.
During the first two weeks of December we will focus primarily on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations held in Paris, France (COP21). For more Latin America news from the COP follow our team on twitter @amandawmaxwell, @CaroHerrera, @mariamrtnz13.
November 30th - December 4th, 2015
What leaders are saying in Paris
After months of planning for the United Nation's climate conference (COP21) in Paris, talks officially began on Monday. During the week, Latin American leaders spoke about their countries' main climate concerns, and outlined their climate commitments as well as what they hope to accomplish during the negotiations.
On Monday, Mexican president Peña Nieto spoke about the importance of linking climate change solutions to economic growth opportunities. Mexico was the first developing country to submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) back in February when the country committed to reducing 25% of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from now until 2030. Contingent on financial and technological assistance from other countries, Mexico is willing to increase its commitment up to 40%. At the same time and after much delay, the Mexican Senate approved the general parts of the Energy Transition Act, which can help the country meet its climate commitments. The legislation aims to reduce GHG emissions in the country by increasing investments in clean energy. Establishing a minimum rate of renewable energy production for the next 35 years: 25% for 2018; 30% for 2021; 35% for 2024; 45% for 2036 and 60% for 2050. (Newsweek en Español 11/30/2015) (Televisa 11/30/2015)
Panamanian president Juan Carlos Varela proposed the creation of an international center to address the management of tropical forests and combat deforestation. The proposed center would facilitate collaboration between public and private stakeholders in the fight against deforestation with the end goal of promoting a national culture of forest management and a sustainable reduction of carbon emissions. The president also spoke about other initiatives, such as the Expansion Project, which aims to foster international trade along the Panama Canal with a focus on significantly reducing carbon emissions in the international maritime sector. In an effort to reduce the impacts of El Niño and protect the Panama Canal Watershed, the country has adopted the 2015-2050 National Plan of Water Safety Program and an initiative to provide 100% of the nation with potable water and basic sanitation. (La Estrella 11/30/2015)
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos spoke on the importance of achieving peace in his country as a key step in his climate change agenda. If the internal armed conflict ends as planned, the president told leaders at the COP21 that Colombia's budget to address the environment would be immense. Peace and stability would enable the nation to replace coca and poppy seed plantations with sustainable and legal crops, he said, as well as end the attacks on pipelines, which has caused the spilling of more than four million barrels of oil in Colombia's rivers and seas. Colombia has made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% compared to 2030 Business-As-Usual (BAU) levels. (Diario Libre 12/01/2015)
In an interview with AFP, the president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, described Central America's "high vulnerability" in the face of climate change, adding that establishing a legally binding agreement is crucial for the region's efforts to curb global warming. He stated that as major contributors to climate change, rich nations should bear the greatest responsibility in addressing the mitigation and effects of climate change. The Central American countries are also trying to explicitly include in the text the description of the region as "vulnerable." Honduras recently became a member of the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC), which is considered a moderate voice among the developed and developing nations present at the climate negotiations. Honduras makes up less than 0.1% of GHG emissions in the world and pledged a 15% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030. (La Prensa 12/02/2015)
The Vice President of Guatemala, Juan Alfonso Fuentes Soria, also called on leaders at the COP21 to declare Central America "vulnerable" to the effects of climate change. During the forum of leaders, he discussed the current situation in Guatemala, a country with low GHG emissions, but that is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change due to its geographical location and rich biodiversity. For the year 2020, Fuentes Soria said Guatemala has committed to an unconditional emissions reduction of 11.2% and a 22.6% reduction conditional on technical and financial support. Like the president of Honduras, the Guatemalan vice president called on the international community to reach a legally binding and universally applicable agreement on climate change. (EFE 12/01/2015)
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is aiming to reach a binding agreement that will work for low-income communities, as stated in Paris by Daniel Ortega, Minister of the Environment in Ecuador. For the past year, CELAC has been working to unify the message of 33 different nations with varying visions and political affiliations. Where the group agrees, is in prioritizing efforts to eradicate extreme poverty in the Latin American continent, where some 69 million people living on less than a dollar a day. "This gives us a regional vision that is reinforced in the framework of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), from the point of view of climate justice," said the representative of Ecuador. CELAC countries account for a third of the fresh water, a fifth of natural forests and 12% of arable land worldwide, and hold 65% of world reserves of lithium, 49% silver and 44% copper, among other metals and minerals. Moreover, Latin America and the Caribbean contribute about 25% of the world's biofuels, 13% of the world's oil and a third of world production of bioethanol. (Andes 12/03/2015)
21 Peruvian Indians are in Paris to advise the Peruvian negotiating team and 30 more are expected to arrive next week. Asked why and what they would like to communicate to leaders and the public during the talks, Lyndon Pishagua Chinchuya said "We are here at COP 21 to show the world the importance of recognizing land tenure as a method of climate mitigation." Mr. Samaniego Arroyo added: "What we want the most is for people in the city to respect the jungle -- to know that the jungle is here and that people are living here. The Amazon is a living being, not just resources." The visit of Chinchuya and Samaniego, along with the rest of the Indians from Peru was funded by the government of Norway. (New York Times 12/01/2015)
Chile's President Michelle Bachelet brought up the importance of including women in the climate change discussion, claiming that "climate change is not just an environmental problem; it is also a social problem." The country is already beginning to see effects of climate change, such as flooding in the north and high temperatures in the Arctic region this year. Bachelet reaffirmed Chile's commitment to address climate change, including the reduction of GHG emissions by 30% by 2030 and the implementation of a carbon tax, which will go into effect in 2017. Finally, the president spoke about the importance of protecting Chile's seas: "We have a 4,500-kilometer coastline, which reminds us every day of the ocean's fundamental role in the fight against climate change." (Gobierno de Chile 12/01/2015)
Similarly, Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz stressed the importance of addressing oceans in Chile during an oceans meeting at the conference, stating that as an oceanic country, its future is at stake if leaders fail to link the ocean to climate change. The participating countries at the COP21 signed a declaration on Sunday to put ocean conservation as one of the priorities of each nation. While Chile has outlined a plan for its ocean, Muñoz indicated that the next step is for Chile to sign a binding plan to solidify these goals. (Publimetro 11/29/2015)
New study on Climate Change perspectives in Latin America
A new study by PEW concludes Latin America is the region most concerned with Climate Change. Out of 45,000 people from 40 different countries who participated in the PEW poll, 74 percent of Latin Americans consider climate change a "very serious problem." In the United States the rate fell to 48 percent and in China to 18 percent. Of the Latin American countries that participated in the study, Brazil demonstrated the highest concern at 86 percent. Dr. Timmons Roberts, author of a book on Latin America and climate change, believes part of the reason why Brazilians might be more concerned is because they watch a lot of television and local channels like Globo dedicate large portions of their segment on the Amazons. In particular, Latin America's greatest concern is drought and water restrictions. While concern is increasing, a study by Globescan for the BBC determined that support for leaders to address climate change has decreased since the last conference in Copenhagen in 2009--today, 44 percent of Chileans and 31 percent of Mexicans want their government to take action on climate change. (BBC 12/01/2015)
Tackling emissions from deforestation
The governments of Colombia, Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany signed a pact on Monday to allocate $100 million to reduce deforestation in Colombia's Amazon. In March of next year Colombia will receive the first disbursement of $35 million, most of which will go to areas affected by 50 years of war within the country. Colombia has worked with Germany for over a year and a half in the development of this plan. Minister of the Environment Gabriel Vallejo pointed out the importance of the region's peace in connection with Colombia's reforestation efforts, supporting President Santo's stance that in order to tackle climate change the country must end the war and gain stability.
(El Heraldo 11/30/2015)
Mexico has set out to accomplish zero deforestation, according to the director of the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) Jorge Rescala Pérez. The announcement was made during a presentation on the progress of the National REDD+ Strategy for the COP21. Between 2016 and 2020 through the Emissions Reduction Initiative, which oversees approximately 18 million hectares of forest, the country aims to reduce at least 8.7 million tons of contaminants cause by deforestation and degradation. Rescala Pérez also spoke about the country's commitment to restore on million hectares of forest ecosystems. (20 Minutos 12/02/2015)
Colombia, Brazil and Peru have created a patrol boat to protect the Amazon with the cooperation of Colombian military technology. The announcement of the new partnership between the three countries was made in Bogota, at the Corporation of Science and Technology for Development of the Naval Maritime and River Industry (COTECMAR). Leaders of the country hope that these efforts will help diminish the threats of destruction of the Amazon region. The plan is to also use the patrol boat to support local communities, isolated from the rest of society.
(La Prensa 12/01/2015)
Protecting the world's oceans
While Chilean leaders highlight the importance of oceans in climate change at the negotiations in Paris, at least 337 dead whales have been spotted in one of the most remote and wild areas of the Chilean Patagonia. The incident in Chile is one of various other large mortalities of whales in other areas in the Pacific, Alaska and British Columbia during the past year. The discovery was made by Vreni Häussermann, director of the Scientific Center of Huinay. Häussermann, an expert on the ecosystems of this area of the world states that it is essential to investigate the causes of what happened, in order to determine the likelihood of it happening again and the necessary steps resolve this. According to the samples of the first expedition, it is thought that the bodies correspond to 337 Sei whales, which tend to live in these frigid areas of the planet. Although the causes of the incident are still not public more details are forthcoming in an article by the National Geographic. (El Pais 12/03/2015)
This week's blog was completed with the help of contributions from Andrea Becerra.
For more news on the issues we care about visit our Latin America Green News archive or read our other International blogs.