The Government announces the progress made with preparations at the 50-hectare COP25 site
“This will be the site of one of the biggest meetings ever held in Chile. Transforming the park, in just five months, into a place where we can host more than 20,000 people is an enormous undertaking. This is a tremendous challenge and we are going to ensure it is a success,” said Minister Alfredo Moreno.
Public Works Minister Alfredo Moreno and COP 25 General Manager Cristián Varela visited Parque Cerrillos in southwestern Santiago, where the world’s biggest summit on Climate Change will take place from December 2 to13.
“This will be the site of one of the biggest meetings ever held in Chile. Transforming the park, in just five months, into a place where we can host more than 20,000 people is an enormous undertaking. This is a tremendous challenge and we are going to ensure that this important event is a success and that the people who visit us leave with the best possible impression of our country,” Minister Alfredo Moreno said. He was speaking about the works being carried out by the Public Works Ministry (MOP), which is working with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MINVU) to construct the facilities in a 50-hectare area of the park.
The Minister explained that the first phase of work consists primarily of leveling and compacting the ground. “We are making good progress, according to schedule. The first part has already been handed over to the French production company responsible for setting up the 8 hectares of tents for the different exhibits.”
“President Piñera is very interested in this Summit and in making progress on Climate Change. That is another motivation for carrying out the work needed to prepare for a summit of this magnitude. Furthermore, these improvements to the park, like the 10 hectares of landscaping and the giant sculptures, will remain after COP25. They will be permanent contributions to the city and the whole community,” added the Public Works Minister.
Speaking about the summit, COP25 General Manager Cristián Varela highlighted that “beyond the international event, COP25 is an opportunity for Chile to make progress toward sustainable development with a view to achieving President Sebastian Piñera’s goal of Chile becoming a carbon neutral country by 2050.”
Importantly, Cristián Varela explained that there is a comprehensive plan for the summit that includes “measuring the carbon footprint from the beginning of works through to the end of the summit. We are also going to completely neutralize the carbon footprint. Furthermore, there is a complete recycling and reuse plan for all the waste that is generated during the two-week event.”
The work, which will be finished on November 15, includes 7 hectares of parking (VIP, government officials and general lots) and 700 meters of sidewalk connecting to the Cerrillos Metro station. The 10 hectares of landscaping and 2,000 trees, bushes and plants will also be permanent improvements.
Three monumental sculptures of between 6 and 15 meters each have been selected through a public art competition sponsored by the Public Works Ministry (MOP). They will be installed at the park’s main entrance on Avenida Departamental, in the Aeronautics Museum Area and opposite the Contemporary Art Museum.
These preparations entail joint investment of $7.3 billion Chilean pesos by the Public Works Ministry’s Architecture Division and the Housing and Urban Development Ministry (MINVU).