Pablo Retamal

Latin American officers challenge climate change in Santiago

The South American Climate Change Network has been operational since June 2009 and is led by Peter Bainbridge in Brasilia. In the past year we have been successful in implementing a climate change programme that aims at impacting December’s UNFCCC meeting in Denmark (COP 15). More than 180 countries will meet in Copenhagen to thrash out a new international deal  designed to tackle the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time.

16 regional climate change attachés joined the third regional conference of its kind. Representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela (virtually) were present in Santiago. The event kicked-off with a three day meeting about the Regional Economic Climate Change Studies at the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Our attachés had a unique opportunity to tap into the latest thinking and know the state of affairs for each of their respective countries.

After a valuable three days at ECLAC the group reassembled at the British Embassy. The objective was to evaluate progress to date on the implementation of the Regional South America Climate Change Strategy, in the run-up to Copenhagen, drawing on experiences from the region and beyond. 

Peter Bainbridge ensured that the Network remained updated on London’s strategic thinking on climate change. We were also able to evaluate success from our Strategic Programme Fund projects and consider longer-term projects beyond Copenhagen to help the region move towards a low-carbon economy. Here in Santiago, we have ensured the latter by co-ordinating a series of visits from top UK sector specialists. We have been able to share UK developments with government, private sector and academic stakeholders that will be taking tomorrow’s decisions as to Chile’s energy and climate future.

Some examples of the people who have visited Chile are:

-David Vincent (Carbon Trust, Project Director)
-David Ockwell (Sussex  University, Technology transfer expert)
-Tony Marmont (Beacon Energy)
-Richard Burrett ( Corporate Leader’s Group, Senior Adviser)
-James Painter (BBC, Senior Editor on Climate Change)

Posted at 12:35 22 October 2009 by Pablo Retamal  |  Comments[0]