In the first of three meetings, Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica shared experiences, mechanisms and challenges in the implementation of their NDCs.
Santiago de Chile, November 6, 2020. With a session focused on sectoral and territorial articulation, the initiative “Dialogue among Peers to enhance the implementation of NDCs in Latin America” of the EUROCLIMA+ Programme started its Second Dialogue among Peers which, on this occasion, will be held through three virtual sessions - under the framework of the Joint Regional Event: Increasing Ambition in NDCs.
The main purpose of this Second Dialogue among Peers is to simulate in an interactive way a "marketplace" where participants can identify needs ("demand") and opportunities ("supply") to strengthen climate action in Latin America and with options to contribute to a sustainable recovery.
It is important to note that the Dialogue among Peers initiative aims to promote and provide Latin American countries with a space for reflection, Exchange, and mutual learning, in order to boost the implementation of the NDCs and increase ambition in the region. For its implementation, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have formed a strategic alliance and received support from the AVINA Foundation.
Thus, in the first session, the presentations of Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica illustrated the challenges and opportunities offered by the assignment of goals and responsibilities at the sectoral and territorial level for the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
The session began with a welcome from Maria Jarvio, Programme Assistant at the European Union's Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), who highlighted the importance of these kinds of platforms, especially in the current context, which has the world going through one of the greatest health, economic, and climate crises in history, and where Latin America has been one of the regions most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In this regard, she said, "we need to design and implement recovery strategies with a transformative vision, which have climate action, environmental protection, and the aim of advancing towards the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals as their backbone, under the slogan of 'Leave no one behind'.
Then it was the turn of Joseluis Samaniego, Director of ECLAC's Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division, who gave the context and relevance of the sectors and territorial action in the fulfilment of national climate objectives (NDC). In this regard, he highlighted the possibility of selective growth, with key sectors such as renewable energies, clean transport, efficient buildings, and nature-based solutions, among others, which contribute to the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic (employment, GDP, costs), environmental (through the reduction of emissions) and social (through inclusion).
Likewise, on the territorial aspect, he stressed that the pressure that cities exert on the environment is also challenging, but he also stated that, together with the sectors, they have the potential to become key actors in the solution to the climate crisis.
Check out Joseluis Samaniego's presentation here
Afterwards, Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica presented the experience and work that they have developed at sectoral and territorial levels for the updating and implementation of their NDCs.
Florencia Mitchell, Director of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina, presented what has been done with the creation of the National Climate Change Cabinet (GNCC), formed at the highest level of government and with the participation of key sectors - at the level of ministers seated at the GNCC and their technical expertise in the working groups - and of the provinces, as well as other relevant actors of civil society through the expanded roundtable. The speaker presented the intense work carried out by the country to reach the end of 2020 with its updated NDC, where the articulation between the different sectors, levels of government and actors is crucial. In this regard, she highlighted that Argentina and the Ministry of the Environment have set the goal of making the sectors the leading agents of the climate agenda and action in the country.
On behalf of Chile, Maritza Jadrijevic, Adaptation Coordinator of the Climate Change Office in the Ministry of the Environment, presented the experience with the Regional Climate Change Committees, which have allowed national policies to be adapted for the territories and promote the formulation of regional climate action plans. Today, with support from a readiness project of the Green Climate Fund, Chile is in the final stage of developing four regional plans, which have involved local actors in this field and have included sectoral measures to address climate change from the territory. It should be noted that this governance framework and the instruments for managing climate change at the subnational level will be institutionalised with the approval of the Framework Law on Climate Change in the country. Likewise, Jadrijevic highlighted the country's efforts to bring climate change management to the level of the territories and how the generation of information at the subnational level is a key factor in decision-making regarding climate objectives, as well as the link between climate action and territorial management instruments such as the Regional Development Strategies.
Among the challenges, the Chilean referred to those related to the Regional Climate Change Action Plans, which have the task of broadening participation and the spectrum of actors; achieving a more active involvement of the private sector, academia and civil society; and the need to delve deeper into the inclusion of gender and indigenous peoples' issues.
On behalf of Costa Rica, Daniela Villalta, advisor to the Climate Change Directorate, referred to the progress made in the implementation of its NDC, where she highlighted the inclusion of inter-institutional agreements between sectors for the reduction of emissions and the implementation of some pilots in key sectors to evaluate their functioning and the progress of the country's adaptation policy, among others.
Along with the above, Villalta addressed the main challenges in updating the Costa Rican NDC in the current context of post-COVID-19 recovery.
The closing session was led by Paola Vasconi, GIZ Climate Governance Advisor, who, in addition to highlighting the relevance of the experiences presented by the countries, pointed out that in the three examples presented we see how capacity building, coordination, and articulation between actors and levels of government, and communication have also been substantive elements in the framework of defining national objectives and post-COVID recovery.
She also highlighted the link between the NDC and the long-term view, as well as the identification of financing needs and new mechanisms to promote public and private investment in the countries of the region.
Vasconi also highlighted that the cases identified in the three virtual meetings could be considered as concrete cases for the implementation of exchanges between countries that will take place within the Dialogue among Peers Initiative during 2021.
You can review the presentations made by Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica at the following links
The Dialogue among Peers cycle will continue with the next exchanges scheduled for November 12 (social articulation) and November 20 (financial articulation).
If you would like to know more details about this process, write to us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is the European Union's flagship programme for cooperation with Latin America. It aims to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects on the region by promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, resilience, and climate finance.
It is implemented in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean 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-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), and the UN Environment Programme.