1. “LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT FACED TO CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES POST-KYOTO ERA. Links between Buen Ayre Forum and Argentine Republic Government” Author: Lic. ELDA VIVIANA TANCREDI Social Sciences Department, Lujan National University, ARGENTINA Prepared for presentation at the Open Meeting of the Global Environmental Research Community, Rio de Janeiro, 6-8 October, 2001 OBJECTIVE: to describe the main characteristics of the environmental movement in Argentina, specifically related to Global Climate Change Issues in post-Kyoto Era, conforming the Buen Ayre Forum (FBA) to analyse the links among NGOs, national government and public policy NATIONAL GOVERNMENT FACED TO CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT FACED TO CLIMATE CHANGE EXTERNAL INSTITUCIONAL FORCES: - UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) - The KYOTO PROTOCOL (KP) Principle “common but differentiated responsibilities” “specific national and regional development priorities, objectives and circumstances ” (1993) National Law n° 24.295 Adhesion to UNFCCC -ARG/99/003/A/03/99 Project Greenhouse Gasses Emission reduction Civil Society and NGOs participation as component of Public Policy NATIONAL NATURAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY (SNRyDS) Environmental Movement Types: 1 - ” grass-roots ” movements (small. disorganised, urgency to meet local economic and social needs) 2. NGOs related to urban environmental conditions (in general middle- class problems) 3 - National offices of international Groups (e.g. GREENPEACE, EARTH FRIENDS) Forum OBJECTIVES: 1- to incorporate Climate Change Issues in NGOs agenda 2- to spread (through Workshops) and publish knowledge on Climate Change 3- to promote NGOs network (more than 100 members) 4- to facilitate NGOs participation before, during and after COP IV - Local and National Consultation Process 4 Forum Workshops 2 National ONGs Meetings 5 Regional Workshops (Buenos Aires, Cuyo, Litoral, NOA, Patagonia) 4 Meetings with National Authorities -Buen Ayre Forum Bulletin ACTIVITIES DURING COP IV (November, 1998) ACTIVITIES AFTER COP IV (1999, 2000, 2001) ACTIVITIES of Buen Ayre Forum (supported by UNPD and SRNyDS) ( 2001) National Law n° 25.438 ARGENTINA adhesion to KYOTO PROTOCOL MAIN ASSERTIONS 1- Needs of GHG emission reduction; 2- Clean and renewable Energy and energy efficiency; 3- Not to Nuclear Power and huge hydraulic power centres 4- Consensus with GREENPEACE “ENERGY CAMPAIGN 1998 ” and afforestation and reforestation as the only eligible LULUCF project activities under the CDM 5- Needs to develop mechanisms of diffusion of information and programs of formal and non-formal environmental education 6- NGOs needs of an effective and efficient financial support on the part of the State and international organisms WHY? COP IV to be held in Buenos Aires - real interest ? - minimising conflicts while international event? Special Events synthesis of activities developed Meeting: “Mitigation scenarios and mechanism of clean development” Intervention in the Plenary Session Main actors: 3 small and local NGOs (specially CIMA “Interdisciplinary Commission of Environment”, exercising the FBA Secretary) 2 Global Groups: -GREENPEACE Argentina -EARTH FRIENDS Argentina Participation in Advisory Committee of the National Commission for Elaboration and Proposal of the Goal of GHG emissions (OAIC) (only 2 Meetings during 1998-1999) Since 2000 (new national authorities), few participation and consensus - Program of activities toward and during - COP V (Bonn, 1999) - COP VI (La Hague, 2000- Bonn, 2001) - New environment campaigns with Greenpeace and Earth Friends) - Argentine Office to Joint Implementation (OAIC) (822/98; 223/00) ACTIVITIES BEFORE COP IV (from July to November, 1998) BUT, CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT SEEN AS RELEVANT, (EXCEPTION: GLOBAL GROUPS) IT COMPITES WITH OTHER LOCAL PRIORITIES