A blog of the Latin America Program
Climate: Ponte las pilas (de litio)
Trey Ratcliff
In December, Chile will聽聽the COP 25 climate change summit, where senior government officials will scrutinize one another鈥檚 climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement 鈥 and their performance fulfilling those goals.
The location of the summit will bring extra scrutiny to Chile and other major Latin American economies, including Argentina.
As part of its 2016 Paris Agreement commitment 鈥 known as a聽聽鈥 Argentina promised not to exceed a 35 percent increase in 2010 emissions by 2030. Argentina was one of a handful of countries to resubmit its NDC pledging further cuts. To fulfill its pledge, President Mauricio Macri shepherded through congress聽聽in 2017, which was聽聽this year. Mr. Macri also instituted RenovAr, a public-private partnership to attract investment in renewable energy infrastructure. After three rounds, RenovAr has聽聽147 projects to build up Argentina鈥檚 renewable energy capacity. The government says it is聽聽to doubling energy from renewable resources, from 8 percent in 2008 to 16 percent by 2021.
However, while Argentina says it is eager to tackle climate change, its strategic priorities are inconsistent. For example, Argentina is betting big on the聽聽of fossil fuels, including massive reserves of unconventional oil and gas in Vaca Muerta that relies upon聽听迟别肠丑苍辞濒辞驳颈别蝉.
Meanwhile, Argentina鈥檚 efforts to keep up with its Paris Agreement pledge have proven 鈥,鈥 according to the Climate Action Tracker. Indeed, Argentina is expected to聽聽by 56 percent above 2010 levels by 2030, complicating global efforts to limit warming to below two degrees Celsius.
Public opinion is not the problem. A 2019聽聽found that 73 percent of Argentines believe climate change is聽the top international threat聽鈥 ranking it above the Islamic State, cyberattacks and global economic troubles. Almost聽聽of Argentines consider climate change to be 鈥渧ery serious,鈥 according to Vanderbilt University鈥檚 Latin American Public Opinion Project. Nevertheless, distractions and the economic downturn have apparently diverted attention and political will from Argentina鈥檚 climate policy in the run-up to the COP 25.
Emma Sarfity
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Latin America Program
澳门六合彩鈥檚 prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on 澳门六合彩鈥檚 strength as the nation鈥檚 key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Argentina Project
The Argentina Project is the premier institution for policy-relevant research on politics and economics in Argentina.聽 Read more
