By Fabiola Ortiz

A debate on decarbonising development has emerged in Latin America, a region where natural resources, including fossil fuels, play a heavy role in the economy. Credit: Courtesy of Guilherme/Flickr
RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 14 2014 (IPS) – When the advances made towards curbing global warming are analysed in the first 12 days of December in Lima, during the 20th climate conference, Latin America will present some achievements, as well as the many challenges it faces in “decarbonising development”.
Experts consulted by IPS said that during the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the region will be able to point to progress in reducing deforestation in the Amazon jungle, especially in the Brazilian portion where forest loss was reduced 80 percent in the last decade, according to official sources.
But they say Latin America’s focus should be the “decarbonisation” of the economy, limiting the share of fossil fuels and other sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the energy mix, in order to mitigate the impact of climate change, as demanded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its fifth report, launched Nov. 2.
“We can break with the idea that it is always difficult to reach a consensus in Latin America,” the head of Friends of the Earth Brazil, Roberto Smeraldi, told IPS. “There is a diversity of new experiences; the region is a laboratory of learning with respect to climate change.”
In his view, new alliances must be created by means of bilateral and regional accords, aimed at strengthening the position of Latin American countries in the negotiations among the parties, both in Lima and along the road that is to lead to a new climate treaty a year later in Paris.
“When tackling climate change, Latin Americans don’t have to cling to a narrative based in the past.” — Mario Molina
But he complained that Brazil is not harnessing its comparative advantages in terms of natural resources and great potential for decarbonising its economy and investments, in order to take on a leadership role in the climate negotiations.
“Brazil should be interested in assuming a more aggressive role and pushing for progress [in the talks]. I’m convinced that it can develop a low-carbon economy, even if it becomes a major oil exporter,” he argued.
The IPCC advocates a low-carbon economy. Financial flows must be modified to substantially reduce CO2 emissions, the panel says. It is calling, for example, for a 30 billion dollar a year reduction in investment in fossil fuels for electricity worldwide.
The director of the Climate Reality Project’s Climate Leadership Corps, Mario Molina, said Latin America could feasibly make progress towards decarbonising the economy.
…(read more).
Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice
Like this:
Like Loading...