Río Negro – Resolution No. 535/2023 – Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change – Provincial Plan of Response to Climate Change 2022-2030.
Environmental Law & Climate Change Department report | Río Negro – Resolution No. 535/2023 – Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change – Provincial Plan of Response to Climate Change 2022-2030
On April 27th, 2023, the Provincial Plan of Response to Climate Change (2022-2030) of the Province of Río Negro was approved within the framework of the provisions of Article 20 of Law No. 27,520 (Law of minimum standards for adaptation and mitigation to global climate change), Article 20 of Decree 1030/20 (regulating Law No. 27,520) and Law No. 5,140 (General Law on Climate Change of the Province of Río Negro).
The Plan was elaborated through a consensus-building process among institutions and other entities, accompanying a long-term resilient development strategy, and thinking about the year 2030 as a near future. It is mentioned that the province is already experiencing impacts caused by climate change, such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and sea level rise, among others, and that an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities associated with climate change in the province was carried out, identifying 4 regions and thus determining the most fragile areas and the sectors that could be most affected.
It established that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the province of Río Negro are equivalent to approximately 1.56% of national emissions, equivalent to 5.71 MtCO2e. Applying this representativeness to Argentina’s mitigation target, it is defined that the target for Río Negro corresponds to not exceeding the net emission of 5.44 MtCO2e.
Thus, in order to achieve the mitigation target set, measures, and public policies were defined to be implemented by the different ministries and state secretariats, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, encompassed the main emission sectors:
Stationary Energy:
– Regulate the law of Distributed Generation with Renewable Energies.
– Promote the development of the Energy Saving and Efficiency Law.
– Decrease fugitive emissions of natural gas.
– Provide Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency solutions adapted to the availability of local resources.
– Develop green hydrogen.
– Regulate guidelines for sustainable public procurement.
– Adopt the Program for Rational and Efficient Energy Use (PROUREE) in public buildings.
– Implement the certification of Energy Efficiency in Housing.
– Establish a replacement of luminaries in public lighting.
– Develop the Program for the Installation of Hybrid Energy Sources in Isolated Places.
– Support civil entities through the Technical Assistance Program for civil entities and/or Provincial Public Bodies.
– Provide technical assistance to key economic sectors of the province through energy efficiency programs for specific economic sectors of the Province of Río Negro.
– Intervene in the regulation of professional qualifications.
– Incorporate energy efficiency in formal education.
– Develop financing mechanisms for the development and implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
– Develop information, awareness and education campaigns.
– Promote the use of more efficient heaters and water heaters in homes.
Transportation:
– Promote sustainable mobility for cargo and passenger transportation.
– Promote sustainable mobility through footpaths, pedestrian walkways, bike paths and bicycle lanes.
– Promote the renewal of the public vehicle fleet.
– Promote the renewal of light private vehicles.
– Disseminate and implement eco-driving measures.
– Promote energy efficiency in maritime transportation.
– Promote the Sustainable Mobility Law.
– Promote the installation of energy charging points.
– Promote rail passenger transportation services. Increase frequency and capacity of the Patagonian Train.
Waste:
– Promote the energetic use of forest waste in urban and rural areas.
– Promote circular economy projects applicable to different sectors and activities.
– Strengthen the proper management of recyclable waste.
– Produce energy from biogas generated in landfills and sewage treatment plants.
– Eradicate open-air landfills.
– Promote alternative treatment projects for industrial effluents and agricultural and livestock production.
– Promote research and development projects for the reuse of MSW and special waste.
– Extend sewage networks and build effluent treatment plants.
Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use Change:
– Strengthen the fire prevention and firefighting plan.
– Promote the growth of tree species through the sustainable use of plantations and native forests.
– Develop improvements in the management of forest residues for energy use and/or to prevent fires.
– Carry out and/or update the Management Plans for Natural Protected Areas (NPA).
– Promote deforestation-free cattle ranching activities, in accordance with the Integrated Livestock Forest Management Plan (MBGI).
– Strengthen adaptive management practices oriented to forage evaluation and ranch management on natural pastures.
– Generate information with a climatic perspective for the management of wetland systems.
– Apply sustainable pasture management practices.
– Promote animal diet management.
– Promote studies for the improvement and increase of pasture productivity.
– Contribute to the integral and sustainable development of livestock farming through the Program for the promotion and development of holistic-regenerative-adaptive livestock farming in rainfed areas in the southern region.
– Produce biogas through the development of bio-managers in feedlots.
Manuel Frávega