The Thematic Study provides background information to the countries of the region on the main aspects that make up the LTCSs and existing experiences from which they can draw when developing their national strategies.

11 February 2022.- In a webinar format, and with broad and participatory attendance, on Thursday 10 February, the recently published EUROCLIMA+ Thematic Study Background and recommendations for the development, updating and sustainability of the Long-Term Climate Strategies in Latin American countries, prepared by the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy in the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme was presented.  The meeting was hosted by the Space for Exchange on Long-Term Climate Strategies, a community in which 13 countries of the region participated and which has already held 11 exchange sessions on different topics related to the LTCSs.

The session was introduced by Carles Puigmartí, representing the Directorate General for International Partnerships of the European Commission (INTPA), who framed the study within the support to the development of LTCSs that the EUROCLIMA+ programme is carrying out with some countries in the region. For her part, Sara Covaleda, FIIAPP technician for EUROCLIMA+, presented the work that the programme has been developing in the Space for Exchange on Long-Term Climate Strategies, as well as the programme planned for 2022.

Sebastián Carranza, Programme Officer at UN Environment, analysed the important role that LTCSs can play in countries' climate policies and decarbonisation plans. He gave an interesting presentation on the challenges faced by the Strategies in the ecosystem of international agreements, plans, regulations, national strategies and sectoral policies, with an eye on compliance with the NDCs at all times.

For his part, Jordan Harris, author of the Study, presented the guidelines and main conclusions of the work, which were the subject of a posterior discussion with the participants. The document analyses the international context with background, concepts and commitments associated with the LTCSs, the Strategies of 18 countries that have already been submitted to the UNFCCC were reviewed with the intention of carrying out a comparative analysis between them that could yield possible useful lessons for countries that are in more incipient processes.

In addition, it addresses the state of progress in the development of the strategies of the countries that are participating in the action Regional Collaboration for transparency and fulfilment of the NDCs and generation of Long-Term Climate Strategies, which are being developed within the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, with the support of  FIIAPP, GIZ, ECLAC and UN Environment: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay. Special mention should be made of the study's focus on the integration of Action for Climate Empowerment, the Just Transition and the potential contribution to green recovery in the LTCSs.

The event concluded with a dialogue between speakers and attendees, which allowed clarifying doubts and bringing to the debate other dimensions of relevance in the approach to LTCSs, such as joint regional action, the sectoral approach or the interaction with the protection of biodiversity, the fight against desertification, sustainable economic production and the multilevel gender component.

About the LTCSs 

In the context of Latin America, prior to 2021 only Mexico and Costa Rica had submitted their LTCSs to the UNFCCC Secretariat in response to the call of the Paris Agreement (specifically in Article 4.19) inviting parties to work on Long-Term Climate Strategies (LTCSs), with the aim of establishing a roadmap in which to frame subsequent Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Currently, as of early 2022, Guatemala, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay have already developed their LTCSs and several other countries in the region are in the process of developing them.

Given that the Paris Agreement does not go into detail regarding the process or the minimum content required for the development of a LTCS, there is a wide spectrum of potential methodologies, content and processes for their development (Harris, 2021), which allows for the adaptation of this instrument to the needs of each country and opens the possibility of generating a rich exchange in which to share the experiences and lessons learned by different countries.

About EUROCLIMA+  

EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), and UN Environment.

Contact 

Daniel Fernández This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.