Argentina hosts regional climate change dialogue

By Bala Chambers

LONDON (AA) - Argentina on Wednesday hosted the virtual Latin American Summit on Climate Change ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow from Oct. 31-Nov. 12.

Presidente Alberto Fernandez inaugurated the High-level Dialogue on Climate Action in the Americas at the Bicentenary Museum in the nation's capital, Buenos Aires.

During the exchange, the Argentine leader pushed for "environmental multilateralism" and raised the issue of potentially renegotiating the terms and conditions of its loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for Argentina lowering its carbon footprint, something Fernandez has pushed for since April this year.

In his opening speech to representatives from 21 nations, Fernandez said "the clock of planetary destruction is not going to stop if we do not act now,” in reference to the global impact of climate change.

He also called for payment mechanisms for ecosystems and for "environment creditors" to support developing nations, adding “the climate and financial shock resulting from a generalized debt crisis is not compatible with a better world”

Fernandez also requested regional development organizations "to commit 50% of their resources to environmental actions.”

“We need to capitalize on them," he said, referencing the Inter-American Development Bank and the Andean Development Confederation in terms of leveraging Special Drawing Rights "to strengthen their credit capacity or through the injection of capital," he said in reference to developed nations supporting developing nations.

Fernandez also called for a range of greener approaches such as “identifying advances in clean technologies as global public goods, strengthening the concept of environmental multilateralism.”

The Argentine leader also pushed for technology transfer agreements and the releasing of patents for different goods aimed at creating a more sustainable and greener future.

Fernandez also thanked the US Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, who took part in the summit along with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and regional leaders.

Guterres said he was counting on the participating nations to send a strong signal to COP26 that a resilient net zero future is achievable.

He hailed the leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean and pledged "the full support of the United Nations system to address the triple threat of COVID-19, climate change and debt."

Ahead of COP26, Fernandez stressed the urgency to act now.​​​​​​​

“We have to listen to the cry of our land and our peoples. It is here and now. Together, we can be part of a generation that tries to save our planet,” he said.