Latin America has been suffering from the disastrous impacts of the global climate crisis for several years now.
A report by the WWF highlighted the changing climate patterns in the region, characterized by melting glaciers, worsening drought conditions, extreme weather conditions, and other environmental impacts. One Latin American country, in particular, is finally taking strict action against the climate crisis: Chile.
Chile has pledged to do and has done more to reverse the impacts of climate change than some of the biggest countries in the region combined have. Its efforts are now serving as the blueprint for the rest of the world to follow.
Chile’s Response to the Climate Crisis
In the 2015 Paris Agreement, Chile submitted its first climate action plan. It later updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chile had announced that it was fully dedicated to reducing black carbon emissions by a minimum of 25% by 2030. It also announced its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. So far, in terms of following through with the plans laid out in the Paris Agreement, Chile is the only country to have achieved significant results.
In 2019, Chilean Prime Minister Sebastián Piñera announced plans to shut down all of the country’s coal-fired power plants by 2040. Chile is also on the fast track to replacing all of its electric power usage with renewable energy. In fact, the country might actually achieve its goal of 20% renewable electricity production well before 2025, which is the target it had previously set.
Recent Developments
It was recently announced that Chile is creating an entirely new constitution, solely to confront climate change even more strictly. 155 members have been selected to be a part of the Constitutional Convention, and their decisions will shape the future of Chile as a leader in sustainable development against the global climate crisis.
Lessons for the World
Of the 190 countries that formally supported and signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, very few have been able to live up to their goals. Chile stands out as the most promising signee due to its genuine dedication to its sustainable goals. It’s important to note that many of these positive developments wouldn’t have been possible had the Chilean people not elected the environmentally-conscious Sebastián Piñera as their president in 2018. The new president-elect, former student activist Gabriel Boric, is also a promising figure for the country’s climate future.
If there’s one thing the rest of the world can take away from this, it’s that the biggest responsibility for climate action falls on the shoulders of those in power. So, choose your leaders wisely.
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