Newsletter ACERA - Agosto 2019

OPINION
Mónica Araya
Advocate for renewable energies
and electromobility
Executive Director, Costa Rica Limpia
@MonicaArayaTica
CHILE AS THE LEAD OF THE GREAT CLIMATE “MOVIE”
Offering Chile as host to COP25 was a wise decision. And not
only concerning the act of accomodating such an important
climate summit, but also entering into the climate debate with a
leading role.
Something similar to Hollywood happens in the climate world:
big stars are already known. At the climate policy level, the
leading roles are held by California, Sweden or China. Latin
America has more secondary roles. With COP, Chile is venturing
into the film as the protagonist, including actors unknown
to the world in the cast, such as Ministers Carolina Schmidt
(Environment) and Gloria Hutt (Transport), Gonzalo Muñoz, a
high-level champion, or scientist Maisa Rojas, assigned by
President Sebastián Piñera to lead the Chilean scientific
community along the path to the COP. This latter is vital since
science must have a more protagonist role in our public debates.
It’s a story I like, that experienced an unprecedented growth
during 2019. For example, seeing the Minister of Finance,
Felipe Larraín, together with former Minister of Environment
Marcelo Mena -now in the World Bank- leading the new efforts
concerning climate finance. Or the Chilean commitment to the
1,500 million dollar green bonus. This, my fellows, is equivalent
to saying “let’s go for the Oscar!”.
But don’t misunderstand me. The fact of loving the story does
not mean we are unaware of the Chilean challenges, such as
inequality or the high use of coal. This new Chilean “film”
inspires us to overcome the psychology of thinking that only the
great powers count for advancing in the fight against the
climate crisis or to stop victimizing us as a region and assume
with responsibility this challenge in spite of not being the largest
countries. It is time to acknowledge that the region
may play a more important role. Believing more in our capabilities
is vital.
Let’s talk more about solutions and less about problems.
Precisely for this purpose, we have launched from Costa Rica a
Latin American podcast called “Ponerse las Pilas”, (“Get on
the stick”), with pragmatic stories that already include those of
Carlos Finat, from ACERA, and Tamara Berríos, from BYD,
from Chile, and the one of Gonzalo Muñoz as the climate
Champion. More Chilean stories will follow.
Back to COP25. Chile is nowadays treated as a leader, which
gives rise to the following expectations:
1. Formalizing a more strict emission reduction for 2030
than the current one.
2. Complying with the closure of coal-fueled plants and
starting the design of a Decarbonization Plan for all the
economy (by 2050 or before), consistent with the 1.5 degree
goal.
3. Having a diplomatic strategy aimed at achieving a good
package of decisions at the COP, gaining allies.
4. Integrating non-traditional themes (like oceans) and
involving non-state actors.
5. Promoting climate action and moving governments
towards more strict goals.
The daring idea of bringing COP25 to Chile will showcase all the
positive changes that are in the pipeline, of which all those that
have been working for years on this vision must feel proud.
ACERA is one of them. Congratulations!