The Parliamentary Observatory on Climate Change and Just Transition (OPCC) played a leading role in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22, 2024. During the event, 39 parliamentarians of Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed, through a Joint Declaration (see the full document here), the regional commitment to promote green and inclusive productive development, aligned with the priorities already established for COP30, which will be held in Brazil in 2025.
The document includes proposals to develop productive, technological and innovative capacities in the region, recognizing that LAC countries have vast natural resources and technical skills that can generate sustainable and low-carbon solutions. These actions also have the potential to promote a more productive, inclusive and sustainable future for the region.
The construction of this development model requires a robust legislative framework that encourages investments in strategic sectors. These investments, aimed at areas such as renewable energy, bioeconomy, sustainable agriculture, resilient infrastructure, biodiversity protection and science, technology and innovation, are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, generate jobs, increase incomes and improve the competitiveness through the expansion of national production of sustainable solutions.
With the aim of promoting high-level dialogues between legislators and the international community on the regional climate agenda, and to disseminate the Declaration and its global call, the OPCC organized two parallel events at COP29, bringing together parliamentarians, technical experts and representatives of organized civil society.
The first event, held on November 12 in collaboration with the Federal Senate of Brazil, was titled “Transforming potential into reality: The importance of legislation to promote decarbonization and technological densification of the productive sector in Latin America and the Caribbean.” . The debate included proposals that integrate sustainability, competitiveness and social inclusion, with emphasis on the Brazilian context. During the discussion on sustainable productive chains, decarbonization and technological advances in the region, Representative Nilto Tatto, member of the Environment Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and co-head of the OPCC, highlighted the role of parliament in the creation and implementation of innovative legislation. He highlighted the need for laws that promote technological advances, the sustainability of the productive sector, the decarbonization of productive chains and the generation of quality jobs, thus contributing to a fairer and more sustainable development model.
Additionally, Fernanda Cimbra Santiago, Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance of Brazil, addressed the challenges and opportunities of green and inclusive productive development, highlighting the Ecological Transformation Plan (PTE) launched by the federal government. This initiative aims to increase productivity through technological innovations and the construction of sustainable infrastructure, taking advantage of Brazil’s natural riches, such as its biodiversity and renewable energy sources. Santiago also emphasized the Pact for Ecological Transformation, which brings together the three branches of the Brazilian government in concrete actions to confront the climate crisis.
Adauto Modesto Junior, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, contributed to the debate by highlighting the role of public procurement as a tool to promote sustainable development. In his speech, he highlighted how the purchasing power of the State can be an important vector to strengthen national productive sectors aligned with the goals of decarbonization and social inclusion.
Moderated by Camila Gramkow, Acting Director of the ECLAC Office in Brazil, the event was consolidated as a milestone to increase the visibility of climate governance practices and create opportunities for regional integration.
On November 13, the OPCC organized the event “Anticipating the future: How can legislators take advantage of the opportunities offered by emerging trends in green and inclusive productive development?”, held at the Legislators Pavilion organized by GLOBE. This debate included two panels with parliamentarians, government authorities and civil society representatives from LAC to analyze the importance of anticipatory approaches in legislative agendas and how to prepare the region for future opportunities for green and inclusive productive development.
The first panel, with Brazilian deputies Nilto Tatto and Amon Mandel, together with the Vice Minister of Economy of Guatemala, Valeria Prado, addressed the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development in LAC. Deputy Tatto highlighted the importance of the exchange of interparliamentary experiences to promote the transition towards a green and inclusive productive model. Citing extreme climate events, such as the floods in Rio Grande do Sul and the drought in the Amazon, he emphasized the need for proactive and anticipatory governance to implement adaptation measures and protect vulnerable communities. For her part, Vice Minister Prado stressed the urgency of anticipatory approaches in agricultural policies so that they are more adaptive in Guatemala. According to her, it is essential to expand mitigation and adaptation policies, which requires more climate financing for training and investments in precision agriculture in the most vulnerable countries. He also drew attention to external pressures related to certifications, which increase export management costs without being accompanied by adequate financial support, creating additional challenges for the agricultural sector and the local economy. Representative Amon Mandel complemented the discussion by highlighting the need for effective oversight of legislation, citing a fire project in the Amazon that resulted in an interstate committee to improve national governance, the transfer of resources and more concrete adaptation measures.
The second panel discussed how policymakers can prepare to manage major climate transformations in the future. Representatives of organized civil society, such as the Brazilian Beatriz Pagy, from Clima de Elección, and Bruno Sirote, from the Argentine organization Youth for Climate, highlighted the vital role of civil society in expanding the climate debate and the importance of cooperation south-south and investments in innovation. Beatriz Pagy drew attention to growing challenges, such as denialism, while Sirote argued that Latin America and the Caribbean must explore sustainable development opportunities in an integrated way. Alejandro Aleman, from Climate Action Network Latin America, explained the difficulty of the region in complying with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and defended the need for greater internal legislative pressure to reduce dependence on international financial support.
During the session, the OPCC Joint Statement for COP29 was presented, highlighting the urgency of a strong political commitment to address the climate crisis. New data were also released Legislative Monitora fundamental tool to evaluate legislative strategies and strengthen climate ambition in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
During COP29, the OPCC also supported meetings and meetings between parliamentarians from around the world, with the aim of promoting dialogues and issues that will be brought to COP30 in Brazil, in addition to strengthening the role of legislators in international climate negotiations.
About the OPCC
Since its creation at COP26, in 2021, in Glasgow, the OPCC has consolidated its role as a relevant actor in global forums on climate change. With an action marked by its active participation and concrete proposals, the Observatory reinforces interparliamentary cooperation and promotes dialogues based on legislative data systematized by the Legislative Monitor. These initiatives contribute to identifying good legislative practices and formulating actions that promote a just transition towards low-carbon and sustainable economies in the region and globally.
rmation:
The recording of the event “Anticipating the future: How can policymakers take advantage of the opportunities of new trends in green and inclusive productive development?” is available in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKrk1eRbZqQ (Video of the event, starting at minute 02:34:00).
The OPCC Joint Statement for COP29 is available at: https://opcc.cepal.org/pt-br/documento/declaracao-conjunta-do-opcc-para-cop29
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