Foreword
Argentina presided the G20 Summit in 2018 inspired by the motto “Building
Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development.” The fact that attaining fair and
sustainable growth was the motto of the summit evidences the birth of a new kind
of agenda. This new agenda includes everybody, the scientific and academic
community and, especially, the civil society who has been demanding sustainable
development for many years without success. It is not the current government’s
credit because our positions last only a definite time but the result of a cultural
change that must transcend.
From this perspective, the creation of the National Cabinet for Climate Change,
under Executive Branch Decree 891/2016, was an important institutional
achievement. The Paris Agreement in December 2015 was also a turning point for
Argentina, as it now compels our country to take responsibilities. To ratify the goal
of a 15% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the projected
business as usual emissions, our government had to carry out a reorganization
process. As an Executive Branch Decree created the National Cabinet for Climate
Change, it is the President who must call the ministries to participate and, through
the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, must coordinate the agenda. Then, the
ministers must establish focal points to carry it out, and the Secretary of
Environment and Sustainable Development coordinates and facilitates the work.
The first step in the agenda was to validate the national contribution introduced at
COP Marrakesh in November 2016. For this, the National Cabinet for Climate
Change called in the ministries with higher impact on global warming and the
provinces. There were also roundtables held with experts and members of the civil
society. Nevertheless, the goal will eventually be attained only if we can design
sectorial plans and the relevant players validate them. In November 2017, three
sectorial plans were presented at the COP in Bonn transforming the national goal in
concrete actions: energy, transportation, and forests.
In this search for concrete actions consistent with equitable and sustainable
development, the government is not alone. The scientific community, universities
and civil society also have a role to play according to their incumbencies.
Generally, public policies underestimate the value of consulting with the scientific
and academic community. Our government understands, however, that we need not
v
Argentina presided the G20 Summit in 2018 inspired by the motto “Building
Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development.” The fact that attaining fair and
sustainable growth was the motto of the summit evidences the birth of a new kind
of agenda. This new agenda includes everybody, the scientific and academic
community and, especially, the civil society who has been demanding sustainable
development for many years without success. It is not the current government’s
credit because our positions last only a definite time but the result of a cultural
change that must transcend.
From this perspective, the creation of the National Cabinet for Climate Change,
under Executive Branch Decree 891/2016, was an important institutional
achievement. The Paris Agreement in December 2015 was also a turning point for
Argentina, as it now compels our country to take responsibilities. To ratify the goal
of a 15% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the projected
business as usual emissions, our government had to carry out a reorganization
process. As an Executive Branch Decree created the National Cabinet for Climate
Change, it is the President who must call the ministries to participate and, through
the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, must coordinate the agenda. Then, the
ministers must establish focal points to carry it out, and the Secretary of
Environment and Sustainable Development coordinates and facilitates the work.
The first step in the agenda was to validate the national contribution introduced at
COP Marrakesh in November 2016. For this, the National Cabinet for Climate
Change called in the ministries with higher impact on global warming and the
provinces. There were also roundtables held with experts and members of the civil
society. Nevertheless, the goal will eventually be attained only if we can design
sectorial plans and the relevant players validate them. In November 2017, three
sectorial plans were presented at the COP in Bonn transforming the national goal in
concrete actions: energy, transportation, and forests.
In this search for concrete actions consistent with equitable and sustainable
development, the government is not alone. The scientific community, universities
and civil society also have a role to play according to their incumbencies.
Generally, public policies underestimate the value of consulting with the scientific
and academic community. Our government understands, however, that we need not
v