Chile hands over COP presidency and Minister Schmidt highlights drive for climate action in the country

“The COP presidency enabled Chile – in very complex times of strong political and social polarization – to forge a broad consensus to build progress, recognizing how far we’ve come and enhancing climate ambition and action as a State policy that transcends the government of the day,” Chile’s Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt stated during her speech to open the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26, which is taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. At the event, Chile officially handed over the presidency of the multilateral summit, a position it held for two years and which will now pass to the United Kingdom. The opening ceremony began with a minute’s silence to honor the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Minister Schmidt emphasized that Chile had agreed to take on the role “on behalf of Latin America and the Caribbean during a complex time. Chile took a step forward with conviction when others stepped back.” 

She also highlighted that Chile has put all of its effort into directing the process “with transparency, in an inclusive and ambitious way, respecting that this is a process led by all the parties involved and understanding that the final result is the responsibility of joint consensus. We promoted ambition, environmental integrity and actions to implement the Paris Agreement.” 

Minister Schmidt went on to call attention to the Climate Ambition Alliance for carbon neutrality promoted by Chile, which is bringing together all types of organizations to commit to becoming carbon neutral. She also emphasized the work being done by the Chilean and British High-level Climate Champions in the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns, which have now been joined by over 7,000 institutions with concrete plans and specific science-based goals and actions. 

She also stressed that during Chile’s presidency adaptation was looked at on the same level as mitigation. One of the first decisions of COP25 was to recognize science as non-negotiable, as the basis for decision-making for climate transformation. It was also during COP25, that the world’s oceans were incorporated into the COP process in an unprecedented manner. 

The COP’s impact on Chile 

During her speech, Minister Schmidt stated that taking on the challenge of the COP25 presidency had been “worthwhile”. “It allowed Chile – in very complex times of strong political and social polarization – to forge a broad consensus to build progress, recognizing how far we’ve come and strengthening ambitious climate action as a state policy that transcends the government of the day,” she emphasized. 

She highlighted that during this period Chile’s Senate had approved the Climate Change Framework Law, which establishes carbon neutrality and climate resilience targets to be achieved by 2050, as demanded by science. Then, in April 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, Chile presented its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), which are in line with carbon neutrality and have been praised for their ambition. 

Chile also developed the municipal-level Climate Risk Atlas (ARCLIM), a key instrument for adaptation throughout the whole of Chile. Additionally, the country began a decarbonization process, mandating the immediate closure of the first coal-fired plants on assuming the presidency in 2019 and the closure of 65% of all Chile’s coal-fired plants by 2025. 

The Long-Term Climate Strategy (Estrategia Climática de Largo Plazo, ECLP) was another achievement, setting binding emission limits for all emitting sectors of Chile’s economy and “more than 400 specific, cross-cutting measures on a clear path to achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience in our country.”  

COP26 expectations 

Referring to the expectation of any agreements for COP26, Minister Schmidt said that urgent action is imperative. “Chile and the whole world are being impacted by the effects of climate change. People are expecting a lot from their leaders at the COP. Our generation isn’t going to stop climate change today, but we must urgently change direction in order to stop it,” she explained. 

She recalled that the Paris Agreement establishes two mandatory instruments for addressing climate change: to present more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions and long-term climate strategies. “These are two specific instruments that every country must use to reduce the gap; there aren’t any others. We can’t rewrite the Paris Agreement; we have to fulfil it.” 

In closing, Minister Schmidt declared that she was optimistic about the essential agreements that had to be made. “Success doesn’t lie in us being divided; it’s not about finding the guilty parties or defeating others. It’s about finding the will to keep to our word and fulfil our promises, so that our actions really do reflect our discourse,” she concluded.