Argentina's economic recovery can and should contemplate climate action in line with the Paris Agreement
Buenos Aires, November 18 2020
More than 10 specialists agreed on this on Wednesday 18, during the webinar “Climate change: is Argentina up to the challenge?” organized by FARN, which had more than 300 participants online. The discussion was based on the conclusions of the recently released Climate Transparency Report 2020 —which every year brings together specialists from around the world to promote ambitious climate action among the G20 countries—, with a focus on the reality of Argentina.
“If we are unable to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5ºC, the consequences for human health and natural ecosystems will be devastating and even irreversible. The decision is made country by country, with each public policy. However, so far the Argentine government has not included any ‘green’ measure in its stimulus plans for economic recovery, ”warned Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, senior adviser on Climate Policy at FARN, to start the webinar“ Climate change: ¿ Is Argentina up to the challenge? ”, which had more than 300 participants online.
The event was based on the conclusions of the recently released Climate Transparency Report (CTR; ex Brown To Green Report) 2020 – a report that annually brings together specialists from around the world to promote ambitious climate action among the G20 countries – with a focus on the reality of Argentina. “In December, our country will update the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), according to the commitment made in the Paris Agreement. We need it to be ambitious enough “, remarked Maurtua Konstantinidis during the opening remarks he shared with Álvaro Umaña, from Climate Transparency, who added:” Climate action must go hand in hand with economic recovery and we must take advantage of all opportunities to increase the level of ambition towards the year 2021 ”.
“We cannot consider a green economic recovery in line with the Paris Agreement without taking into account the land use sector, since it has a very great importance in emissions, but also in our economy”, warned Jazmín Rocco Predassi, also of the Climate Policy area of FARN. To which Laura Rocha, from Periodistas por el Planeta, contributed that the energy sector is fundamental: “It must be seen if initiatives and changes are generated from the public and private sectors that comply with a true transformation of the national energy matrix.”
As concluded in the CTR, Argentina needs to focus on green energy infrastructure, promote low-emission transportation, and protect and regulate land use. The first two thematic panels of the webinar focused on these points, for which Gabriel Blanco (UNICEN), María Marta Di Paola (FARN) and Alejandro Pazos (Scania), and Alejandra Cámara (Génesis) and Manuel Jaramillo (Fundación Wildlife), respectively. For the third and last, on how to increase ambition in Argentina with the update of the NDC, Antonella Risso (Health without Harm) joined.