The CAT22 It was held on September 8, 2022, and was organized by the municipality of Temuco, with the participation of expert speakers in the areas of circular economy and sustainability, in order to strengthen knowledge and environmental approach strategies in the city of Temuco. The event was attended by the Mayor of Temuco, Mr. Roberto Neira, the Mayor of Renca, Mr. Claudio Castro, from ECLAC, Mrs. Estefani Rondón, from the Avina Foundation, Mrs. Pamela Ríos, and Mr. Jorge López , General Director of the Cumplido Circular Foundation,
“We want Temuco to be a city that combines sustainability, environmental protection, the circular economy and the fight against climate change,” stressed the host Mayor, Mr. Roberto Neira, for which he also mentioned the actions that are being carried out to improve the environmental quality of the city, such as: waste management, based on composting projects, which are worked together with the municipality, civil society, and Mapuche communities; air quality management, for example, based on control measures for the firewood trade (with humidity on a dry basis up to 25%); climate change management, based on measures for adaptation and resilience, as well as for the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHG). With these comprehensive measures, “the city of Temuco is expected to be an example of balance between social and productive development, with the promotion of renewable energies, sustainable mobility, the circular economy and the improvement of air quality.”
The Mayor of Renca, Mr. Claudio Castro, pointed out the various initiatives and public policies that are being developed in the commune of Renca (Metropolitan Region) to address environmental problems, promoting “an urban, social and economic transition of Renca, based on urban planning that integrates a systemic approach for the construction of a community that is sustainable and resilient to the effects of climate change”. To achieve this, the Mayor commented on Renca’s carbon neutrality action roadmap, from which 5 areas are identified: water sustainability, energy sustainability, comprehensive waste management, sustainable mobility, and nature-based solutions, emphasizing the fundamental role that local governments have in actions to face climate change.
Estefani Rondón, research assistant at the DDSAH, highlighted the work that ECLAC has been carrying out in developing comprehensive public policy guidelines, with a multidimensional vision for the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy. In turn, he highlighted the support to several cities in the region for the development of their climate action plans, emphasizing that the plans are not the final objective, requiring that the actions postulated in them be implemented in the short, medium and long term. deadline without fail, since we are in a decade of action.
Estefani Rondón added that, with more than 80% of people living in cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is essential that comprehensive policies, plans and programs with a multidimensional vision contribute to the materialization of a new model of low-emission and resilient development that creates opportunities based on concrete actions and with co-benefits, thus improving people’s quality of life.
